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      <a href="https://protogenesis.github.io/NewConceptEnglish/"
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      Book I Lesson 1:<br />
      Excuse me!<br />
      Excuse me!<br />
      Yes?<br />
      Is this your handbag?<br />
      Pardon?<br />
      Is this your handbag?<br />
      Yes, it is.<br />
      Thank you very much.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 3:<br />
      Sorry sir.<br />
      My coat and my umbrella please.<br />
      Here is my ticket.<br />
      Thank you sir.<br />
      Number five.<br />
      <br />
      Here is your umbrella and your coat.<br />
      This is not my umbrella.<br />
      Sorry sir.<br />
      Is this your umbrella?<br />
      No, it isn't.<br />
      Is this it?<br />
      Yes, it is.<br />
      Thank you very much.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 5:<br />
      Nice to meet you.<br />
      Good morning.<br />
      Good morning, Mr. Blake.<br />
      This is Miss Sophie Dupont.<br />
      Sophie is a new student.<br />
      She is a French.<br />
      Sophie, this is Hans.<br />
      He is German.<br />
      Nice to meet you.<br />
      And this is Naoko.<br />
      She's��Japanese.<br />
      Nice to meet you.<br />
      And this is Chang-woo.<br />
      He's Korean.<br />
      Nice to meet you.<br />
      And this is Luming.<br />
      He's Chinese.<br />
      Nice to meet you.<br />
      And this is Xiaohui.<br />
      She's Chinese, too.<br />
      Nice to meet you.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 7: <br />
      Are you a teacher?<br />
      I'm a new student.<br />
      My name's Robert.<br />
      Nice to meet you.<br />
      My name's Sophie.<br />
      Are you French?<br />
      Yes, I'm.<br />
      Are you French, too?<br />
      No, I'm not.<br />
      What nationality are you?<br />
      I'm Italian.<br />
      Are you a teacher?<br />
      No, I'm not.<br />
      What's your job?<br />
      I'm a keyboard operator.<br />
      What's your job?<br />
      I'm an engineer.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 9: <br />
      How are you today?<br />
      Hello, Helen.<br />
      Hi, Steven.<br />
      How are you today?<br />
      I'm very well, Thank you.<br />
      And you?<br />
      I'm fine, thanks.<br />
      How is Tony?<br />
      He's fine, Thanks.<br />
      How's Emma?<br />
      She's very well, too, Helen.<br />
      Goodbye, Helen.<br />
      Nice to see you.<br />
      Nice to see you, too, Steven.<br />
      Goodbye.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 11: <br />
      Is this your shirt?<br />
      Whose shirt is that?<br />
      Is this your shirt, Dave?<br />
      No, sir.<br />
      It's not my shirt.<br />
      This is my shirt.<br />
      My shirts blue.<br />
      Is this shirt Tim's?<br />
      Perhaps it is, sir.<br />
      Tim's shirts white.<br />
      Tim!<br />
      Yes, sir.<br />
      Is this your shirt?<br />
      Yes, Sir.<br />
      Here you are.<br />
      Catch.<br />
      Thank you, sir.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 13: <br />
      A new dress What color is your new dress?<br />
      It is green.<br />
      Come upstairs and see it.<br />
      Thanks you.<br />
      Look!<br />
      Here it is!<br />
      That's a nice dress.<br />
      It's very smart.<br />
      My hat's new, too.<br />
      What color is it?<br />
      It's the same color.<br />
      It's green, too.<br />
      That's a lovely hat.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 15: <br />
      Your passport, please.<br />
      Are you Swedish?<br />
      No, we are not.<br />
      We are Danish.<br />
      Are your friends Danish, too?<br />
      No, they aren't.<br />
      They are Norwegian.<br />
      Your passport, please.<br />
      Here they are.<br />
      Are there your cases?<br />
      No, they aren't.<br />
      Our cases are brown.<br />
      Here they are.<br />
      Are you tourists?<br />
      Yes, we are.<br />
      Are your friends tourists too?<br />
      Yes, they are.<br />
      That's fine.<br />
      Thank you very much.<br />
      Book I Lesson 17: How do you do Come and meet our employees, Mr.
      Richards.<br />
      Thank you, Mr. Jackson.<br />
      This is Nicola Grey, and this is Claire Taylor.<br />
      How do you do?<br />
      Those women are very hard-working.<br />
      What are their jobs?<br />
      They're keyboard operators.<br />
      This is Michael Baker, and this is Jeremy Short.<br />
      How do you do?<br />
      They aren't very busy!<br />
      What are their jobs?<br />
      They're sales reps.<br />
      They are very lazy.<br />
      Who is this young man?<br />
      This is Jim.<br />
      He is our office assistant.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 19: <br />
      Tired and thirsty What's the mater, children?<br />
      We are tired and thirsty, Mum.<br />
      Sit down here.<br />
      Are you all right now?<br />
      No, we aren't.<br />
      Look!<br />
      There's an ice cream man.<br />
      Two ice creams please.<br />
      Here you are, children.<br />
      Thanks, Mum.<br />
      There ice creams are nice.<br />
      Are you all right now?<br />
      Yes, we are, thank you.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 21:<br />
      Which book?<br />
      Give me a book please, Jane.<br />
      Which book?<br />
      This one?<br />
      No, not that one.<br />
      The red one.<br />
      This one?<br />
      Yes, please.<br />
      Here you are.<br />
      Thank you.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 23: <br />
      Which glasses?<br />
      Give me some glasses please, Jane.<br />
      Which glasses?<br />
      These glasses.<br />
      No, not those.<br />
      The ones on the shelf.<br />
      These?<br />
      Yes, please.<br />
      Here you are.<br />
      Thanks.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 25: <br />
      Mrs. Smith's kitchen Mrs. Smith's kitchen is small.<br />
      There is a refrigerator in the kitchen.<br />
      The refrigerator is white.<br />
      It is on the right.<br />
      There is an electric cooker in the kitchen.<br />
      The cooker is blue.<br />
      It is on the left.<br />
      There is a table in the middle of the room.<br />
      There is a bottle on the table.<br />
      The bottle is empty.<br />
      There is a cup on the table, too.<br />
      The cup is clean.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 27: <br />
      Mrs. Smith's living room Mrs. Smith's living room is large.<br />
      There is a television in the room.<br />
      The television is near the window.<br />
      There are some magazines on the television.<br />
      There is a table in the room.<br />
      There are some newspapers on the table.<br />
      There are some armchairs in the room.<br />
      The armchairs are near the table.<br />
      There is a stereo in the room.<br />
      The stereo is near the door.<br />
      There are some books on the stereo.<br />
      There are some pictures in the room.<br />
      The pictures are on the wall.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 29: <br />
      Come in, Amy.<br />
      Come in, Amy.<br />
      Shut the door, please.<br />
      This bedroom is very untidy.<br />
      What must I do, Mrs. Jones?<br />
      Open the window and air the room.<br />
      Then put these clothes in the wardrobe.<br />
      Then make the bed.<br />
      Dust the dressing table.<br />
      Then sweep the floor.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 31: <br />
      Where's Sally?<br />
      Where's Sally, Jack?<br />
      She's in the garden, Jane.<br />
      What's she doing?<br />
      She's sitting under the tree.<br />
      Is Tim in the garden, too?<br />
      Yes, he is.<br />
      He's climbing the tree.<br />
      I beg your pardon?<br />
      Who's climbing the tree.<br />
      Tim is.<br />
      What about the dog?<br />
      The dog's in the garden, too.<br />
      It's running across the grass.<br />
      It's running after a cat.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 33: <br />
      A fine day It's a fine day today.<br />
      There are some clouds in the sky, but the sun is shining.<br />
      Mrs. Jones's with his family.<br />
      They are walking over the bridge.<br />
      There are some boats on the river.<br />
      Mrs. Jones and his wife are looking at them.<br />
      Sally is looking at a big ship.<br />
      The ship is going under the bridge.<br />
      Tim is looking at an aeroplane.<br />
      The aeroplane is flying over the river.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 35: <br />
      Our village This is a photograph of our village.<br />
      Our village is in a valley.<br />
      It is between two hills.<br />
      The village is on a river.<br />
      Here is another photograph of the village.<br />
      My wife and I are walking alone the banks of the river.<br />
      We are on the left.<br />
      There is a boy in the water.<br />
      He is swimming across the river.<br />
      Here is another photograph.<br />
      This is the school building.<br />
      It is beside a park.<br />
      The park is on the right.<br />
      Some children are coming out of the building.<br />
      Some of them are going into the park.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 37: <br />
      Making a bookcase You're working hard, George.<br />
      What are you doing?<br />
      I'm making a bookcase.<br />
      Give me that hammer please, Dan.<br />
      Which hammer.<br />
      This one?<br />
      No, not that one.<br />
      The big one.<br />
      Here you are.<br />
      Thanks, Dan.<br />
      What are you going to do now, George?<br />
      I'm going to paint it.<br />
      What colour are you going to paint it?<br />
      I'm going to paint it pink.<br />
      Pink!<br />
      This bookcase isn't for me.<br />
      It's for my daughter, Susan.<br />
      Pink's her favorite colour.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 39: <br />
      Don't drop it!<br />
      What are you going to do with that vase, Penny?<br />
      I'm going to put it on this table, Sam.<br />
      Don't do that.<br />
      Give it to me.<br />
      What are you going to do with it?<br />
      I'm going to put it here, in front of the window.<br />
      Be careful.<br />
      Don't drop it!<br />
      Don't put it there, Sam.<br />
      Put it here, on this shelf.<br />
      There we are!<br />
      It's a lovely vase.<br />
      Those flowers are lovely, too.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 41: <br />
      Penny's bag Is that bag heavy, Penny?<br />
      Not very.<br />
      Here!<br />
      Put it on this chair.<br />
      What's in it?<br />
      A piece of cheese.<br />
      A loaf of bread.<br />
      A bar of soap.<br />
      A bar of chocolate.<br />
      A bottle of milk.<br />
      A pound of sugar.<br />
      Half a pound of coffee.<br />
      A quarter of a pound of tea.<br />
      And a tin of tobacco.<br />
      Is that tin of tobacco for me?<br />
      Well, it's certainly not for me!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 43: <br />
      Hurry up!<br />
      Can you make the tea, Sam?<br />
      Yes, of course I can, Penny.<br />
      Is there any water in this kettle(ˮ��)?<br />
      Yes, there is.<br />
      Where's the tea?<br />
      It's over there, behind the teapot.<br />
      Can you see it?<br />
      I can see the teapot, but I can't see the tea.<br />
      There it is!<br />
      It's in front of you.<br />
      Ah yes, I can see it now.<br />
      Where are the cups?<br />
      There are some in the cupboard�������.<br />
      Can you find them?<br />
      Yes.<br />
      Here they are.<br />
      Hurry up, Sam.<br />
      The kettle's boiling.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 45<br />
      THE BOSS: Can you come here a minute please, Bob?<br />
      Bob: Yes, sir?<br />
      THE BOSS: Where's Miss Jones?<br />
      Bob: She's next door.<br />
      She's in her office, sir.<br />
      THE BOSS: Can she type this letter for me?<br />
      Ask her please.<br />
      Bob: Yes, sir.<br />
      Bob: Can you type this letter for the boss please, Miss Jones?<br />
      MISS JONES: Yes, of course I can.<br />
      Bob: Here you are.<br />
      MISS JONES: Thank you, Bob.<br />
      MISS JONES: Bob!<br />
      Bob: Yes?<br />
      What's the matter?<br />
      MISS JONES: I can't type this letter.<br />
      Miss Jones: I can't read it!<br />
      The boss's handwriting is terrible!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 47<br />
      A cup of coffeeMRS YOUNG: Do you like coffee, Mrs Price?<br />
      MRS PRICE: Yes, I do.<br />
      MRS YOUNG: Do you want a cup?<br />
      MRS PRICE: Yes, please.<br />
      Mrs Young.<br />
      MRS YOUNG: Do you want any sugar?<br />
      MRS PRICE: Yes, please.<br />
      MRS YOUNG: Do you want any milk?<br />
      MRS PRICE: No, thank you.<br />
      I don't like milk in my coffee.<br />
      I like black coffee.<br />
      MRS YOUNG: Do you like biscuits?<br />
      MRS PRICE: Yes, I do.<br />
      MRS YOUNG: Do you want one?<br />
      MRS PRICE: Yes, please.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 49<br />
      At the butcher'sBUTCHER: Do you want any meat today, Mrs Bird?<br />
      MRS BIRD: Yes, please.<br />
      BUTCHER: This lamb's very good.<br />
      MRS BIRD: I like lamb, but my husband doesn't .<br />
      BUTCHER: What about some steak?<br />
      This is a nice piece.<br />
      MRS BIRD: Give me that piece please.<br />
      BUTCHER: Do you want a chicken, Mrs Bird?<br />
      They're very nice.<br />
      MRS BIRD: No, thank you.<br />
      MRS BIRD: My husband likes steak, but he doesn't like chicken.<br />
      BUTCHER: To tell you the truth(˵ʵ�ڵ�), Mrs. Bird, I don't like chicken,
      either !<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 51<br />
      A pleasant climateHANS: Where do you come from?<br />
      DIMITRI: I come from Greece.<br />
      HANS: What's the climate like in your country?<br />
      DIMITRI: It's very pleasant.<br />
      Hans: What's the weather like in spring?<br />
      DIMITRI: It's often windy in March.<br />
      It's always warm in April and May, but it rains sometimes.<br />
      HANS: What's it like in summer?<br />
      DIMITRI: It's always hot in June, July and August.<br />
      The sun shines every day.<br />
      HANS: Is it cold or warm in autumn?<br />
      DIMITRI: It's always warm in September and October.<br />
      It's often cold in November and it rains sometimes.<br />
      HANS: Is it very cold in winter?<br />
      DIMITRI: It's often cold in December, January and February.<br />
      It snows sometimes.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 53<br />
      An interesting climateHANS: Where do you come from?<br />
      JIM: I come from England.<br />
      HANS: What's the climate like in your country?<br />
      Jim: It's mild���º͵ģ�, but it's not always pleasant.<br />
      Jim: The weather's often cold in the North and windy in the East.<br />
      It's often wet in the West and sometimes warm in the South.<br />
      Hans: Which seasons do you like best?<br />
      Jim: I like spring and summer.<br />
      The days are long and the nights are short.<br />
      The sun rises early and sets late.<br />
      I don't like autumn and winter.<br />
      The days are short and the nights are long.<br />
      The sun rises late and sets early.<br />
      Our climate is not very good, but it's certainly interesting.<br />
      It's our favorite subject of conversation.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 55<br />
      The Sawyer familyThe Sawyers live at 87 King Street.<br />
      In the morning, Mrs Sawyer goes to work and the children go to school.<br />
      Their father takes them to school every day.<br />
      Mrs Sawyer stays at home every day.<br />
      She does the housework.<br />
      She always eats her lunch at noon.<br />
      In the afternoon, she usually sees her friends.<br />
      They often drink tea together.<br />
      In the evening, the children come home from school.<br />
      They arrive home early.<br />
      Mr Sawyer comes home from work.<br />
      He arrives home late.<br />
      At night, the children always do their homework.<br />
      Then they go to bed.<br />
      Mr Sawyer usually reads his newspaper, but sometimes he and his wife watch
      television.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 57 <br />
      An unusual dayIt is eight o'clock.<br />
      The children go to school by car every day, but today, they are going to
      school on foot.<br />
      It is ten o'clock.<br />
      Mrs Sawyer usually stays at home in the morning, but this morning, she is
      going to the shops.<br />
      It is four o'clock.<br />
      In the afternoon, Mrs Sawyer usually drinks tea in the living-room, but
      this afternoon, she is drinking tea in the garden.<br />
      It is six o'clock.<br />
      In the evening, the children usually do their homework, but this evening,
      they are not doing their homework.<br />
      At the moment, they are playing in the garden.<br />
      It is nine o'clock, Mr. Sawyer usually reads his newspaper at night, but
      he is not reading his newspaper tonight.<br />
      At the moment, he is reading an interesting book.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 59<br />
      Is that all?<br />
      LADY: I want some envelopes please.<br />
      STATIONER: Do you want the large size, or the small size?<br />
      LADY: The large size please.<br />
      LADY: Have you any writing-paper����ֽ��?<br />
      Stationer: Yes, we do.<br />
      Stationer: I haven't any small pads.<br />
      I only have large ones.<br />
      Do you want a pad����ǩ����?<br />
      LADY: Yes, please.<br />
      LADY: And I want some black ink and some glue.<br />
      Stationer: A bottler of ink and a bottle of glue.<br />
      LADY: And I want a large box of chalk, too.<br />
      Stationer: I only have small boxes.<br />
      Do you want one?<br />
      LADY: No, thank you.<br />
      Stationer: Is that all?<br />
      LADY: That's all, thank you.<br />
      Stationer: What else do you want?<br />
      LADY: I want my change.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 61<br />
      MR WILLIANMS: Where's Jimmy?<br />
      MRS WILLIAMS: He's in bed.<br />
      MR WILLIAMS: What's the matter with him?<br />
      MRS WILLIAMS: He feels ill.<br />
      MR WILLIAMS: He looks ill.<br />
      MRS WILLIAMS: We must call the doctor.<br />
      MR WILLIAMS: Yes, we must.<br />
      MR WILLIAMS: Can you remember the doctor's telephone number?<br />
      MRS WILLIAMS: Yes.<br />
      It's 09754.<br />
      DOCTOR: Open your mouth, Jimmy.<br />
      Show me your tongue.<br />
      Say, 'Ah'.<br />
      MR WILLIMAMS: What's the matter with him, doctor?<br />
      DOCTOR: He has a bad cold, Mr Williams, so he must stay in bed for a
      week.<br />
      MRS WILLIAMS: That's good news for Jimmy.<br />
      DOCTOR: Good news?<br />
      Why?<br />
      MR WILLIAMS: Because he doesn't like school!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 63<br />
      Thank you , doctor.<br />
      DOCTOR: How's Jimmy today?<br />
      MRS WILLIAMS: He's better , thank you, doctor.<br />
      DOCTOR: Can I see him please, Mrs Williams?<br />
      MRS WILLIAMS: Certainly, doctor.<br />
      Come upstairs.<br />
      DOCTOR: You look very well, Jimmy.<br />
      You are better now, but you mustn't get up yet.<br />
      You must stay in bed for another two days.<br />
      DOCTOR: The boy mustn't go to school yet, Mrs Williams.<br />
      And he mustn't eat rich food.<br />
      Mrs Williams: Does he have a temperature, doctor?<br />
      Doctor: No, he doesn't.<br />
      MRS WILLIAMS: Must he stay in bed?<br />
      DOCTOR: Yes.<br />
      He must remain in bed for another two days.<br />
      He can get up for about two hours each day, but you must keep the room
      warm.<br />
      DOCTOR: Where's Mr Williams this evening?<br />
      MRS WILLIAMS: He's in bed, doctor.<br />
      Can you see him, please?<br />
      He has a bad cold, too!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 65<br />
      Not a babyFATHER: What are you going to do this evening, Betty?<br />
      Betty: I'm going to meet some friends, Dad.<br />
      FATHER: You mustn't come home late.<br />
      You must be home at half past ten.<br />
      BETTY: I can't get home so early, Dad.<br />
      Can I have the key to the front door, please?<br />
      FATHER: NO, you can't.<br />
      MOTHER: Betty's eighteen years old, Tom.<br />
      She's not a baby.<br />
      Give her the key.<br />
      She always comes home early.<br />
      FATHER: Oh, all right!<br />
      FATHER: Here you are.<br />
      But you mustn't come home after a quarter past eleven.<br />
      Do you hear?<br />
      BETTY: Yes, Dad.<br />
      BETTY: Thanks, Mum.<br />
      MOTHER: That's all right.<br />
      Goodbye.<br />
      Enjoy yourself!<br />
      BETTY: We always enjoy ourselves, Mum.<br />
      Bye, bye.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 67<br />
      The weekendMRS JOHNSON: Hullo, Mrs Williams.<br />
      Were you at the butcher's?<br />
      MRS WILLIAMS: Yes.<br />
      I was.<br />
      Were you at the butcher's ,too?<br />
      MRS JOHNSON: No, I wasn't.<br />
      I was at the greengrocer's.<br />
      How's Jimmy today?<br />
      MRS WILLIAMS: He's very well, thank you.<br />
      MRS JOHNSON: Was he absent from school last week?<br />
      MRS WILLIAMS: Yes, he was.<br />
      He was absent on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.<br />
      How are you all keeping?<br />
      ������������ô������MRS JOHNSON: Very well, thank you.<br />
      We're going to spend three days in the country.<br />
      We're going to stay at my mother's for the week-end.<br />
      MRS WILLIAMS: Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the country!<br />
      Aren't you lucky!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 69<br />
      The car raceThere is a car race near our town every year.<br />
      In 1968, there was a very big race.<br />
      There were hundreds of people there.<br />
      My wife and I were at the race.<br />
      Our friends, Julie and Jack were there, too.<br />
      You can see us in the crowd.<br />
      We are standing on the left.<br />
      There were twenty cars in the race.<br />
      There were English cars, French cars, German cars, Italian cars, American
      cars and Japanese cars.<br />
      It was an exciting finish.<br />
      The winner was Billy Stewart.<br />
      He was in car number fifteen.<br />
      Five other cars were just behind him.<br />
      On the way home, my wife said to me, "Don't drive so quickly!<br />
      You're not Billy Stewart!"<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 71<br />
      He's awfulJane: What's Ron Marston like , Pauline ?<br />
      Pauline: He's awful !<br />
      He telephoned me four times yesterday , and three times the day before
      yesterday.<br />
      Pauline: He telephoned the office yesterday morning and yesterday
      afternoon.<br />
      My boss answered the telephone .<br />
      Jane: What did your boss say to him ?<br />
      Pauline: He said ,"Miss White is typing letters .<br />
      She can't speak to you now !"<br />
      Pauline: Then I arrived home at six o'clock yesterday evening .<br />
      He telephoned again .<br />
      But I didn't answer the phone !<br />
      Jane: Did he telephone again last night ?<br />
      Pauline: Yes , he did .<br />
      He telephoned at nine o'clock .<br />
      Jane: What did you say to him ?<br />
      Pauline: I said ,"This is Pauline 's mother .<br />
      Please don't telephone my daughter again !"<br />
      Jane: Did he telephone again ?<br />
      Pauline: No , he didn't !<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 73<br />
      The way to King StreetLast week Mrs Mills went to London.<br />
      She does not know London very well, and she lost her way.<br />
      Suddenly, she saw a man near a bus-shop."<br />
      I can ask him the way."<br />
      She said to herself.<br />
      "Excuse me," she said."<br />
      Can you tell me the way to King Street please?"<br />
      The man smiled pleasantly.<br />
      He did not understand English!<br />
      He spoke German.<br />
      He was a tourist.<br />
      Then he put his hand into his pocket, and took out a phrase-book.<br />
      He opened the book and found a phrase.<br />
      He read the phrase slowly."<br />
      I am sorry," he said."<br />
      I do not speak English."<br />
      Book I Lesson 75<br />
      Uncomfortable shoesLADY: Have you any shoes like these?<br />
      SALESMAN: What size?<br />
      Lady: Size five.<br />
      Salesman: What colour?<br />
      Lady: Black.<br />
      Salesman: I'm sorry.<br />
      We haven't any.<br />
      Lady: But my sister bought this pair last month.<br />
      Salesman: Did she buy them here?<br />
      Lady: No, she bought them in the U.<br />
      S.<br />
      Salesman: We had some shoes like those a month ago, but we haven't any
      now.<br />
      Lady: Can you get a pair for me please?<br />
      Salesman: I'm afraid that I can't.<br />
      They were in fashion last year and the year before last.<br />
      But they're not in fashion this year.<br />
      <br />
      Salesman: These shoes are in fashion now.<br />
      Lady: They look very uncomfortable.<br />
      Salesman: They are very uncomfortable.<br />
      But women always wear uncomfortable shoes!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 77<br />
      Terrible toothacheNurse: Good morning, Mr Croft.<br />
      Mr Croft: Good morning, nurse.<br />
      I want to see the dentist, please.<br />
      Nurse: Have you an appointment?<br />
      ����ԤԼ�𣿣�Mr Croft: No, I haven't .<br />
      Nurse: Is it urgent?<br />
      Mr Croft: Yes, it is .<br />
      It's very urgent.<br />
      I feel awful.<br />
      I have a terrible toothache.<br />
      Nurse: Can you come at 10 am on Monday, April 24th?<br />
      Mr Croft: I must see the dentist now, nurse.<br />
      Nurse: The dentist is very busy at the moment.<br />
      Can you come at 2:00 PM?<br />
      Mr Croft: That's very late.<br />
      Can't the dentist see me now?<br />
      Nurse: I'm afraid that he can't , Mr Croft.<br />
      Can't you wait till this afternoon?<br />
      Mr Croft: I can wait, but my toothache can't !<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 79<br />
      Peggy's shopping-listTom: What are you doing, Peggy?<br />
      Peggy: I'm making a shopping-list, Tom.<br />
      Tom: What do we need?<br />
      Peggy: We need a lot of things this week.<br />
      Peggy: I must go to the grocer's.<br />
      We haven't got much tea or coffee, and we haven't got any sugar or jam.<br />
      Tom: What about vegetables?<br />
      Peggy: I must go to the greengrocer's.<br />
      We haven't got many tomatoes, but we've got a lot of potatoes.<br />
      Peggy: I must go to the butcher's, too.<br />
      We need some meat.<br />
      We haven't got any meat at all.<br />
      Tom: Have we got any beer and wine?<br />
      Peggy: No, we haven't.<br />
      And I'm not going to get any!<br />
      Tom: I hope that you've got some money.<br />
      Peggy: I haven't got much.<br />
      Tom: Well, I haven't got much either!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 81<br />
      Roast beef and potato.<br />
      John: Hullo, Peggy!<br />
      Where's Tom?<br />
      Peggy: He's upstairs.<br />
      He's having a bath.<br />
      Peggy: Tom!<br />
      Tom: Yes?<br />
      Peggy: John's here.<br />
      Tom: I'm nearly ready.<br />
      <br />
      Tom: Hullo, John.<br />
      Have a cigarette.<br />
      John: No thanks, Tom.<br />
      Tom: Have a glass of whisky then.<br />
      John: O.<br />
      K.<br />
      Thanks.<br />
      <br />
      Tom: Is dinner ready, Peggy?<br />
      Peggy: It's nearly ready.<br />
      We can have dinner at seven o'clock.<br />
      Tom: John and I had lunch together today.<br />
      We went to a restaurant.<br />
      Peggy: What did you have?<br />
      Tom: We had roast beef and potatoes.<br />
      Peggy: Oh!<br />
      Tom: What's the matter, Peggy?<br />
      Peggy: Well, you're going to have roast beef and potatoes again
      tonight!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 83<br />
      Going on a holidayPeggy: Hullo, John.<br />
      Come in.<br />
      Tom: Hullo, John.<br />
      We're having lunch.<br />
      Do you want to have lunch with us?<br />
      John: No thank you, Tom.<br />
      I've already had lunch.<br />
      I had lunch at half past twelve.<br />
      Peggy: Have a cup of coffee then.<br />
      John: I've just had a cup, thank you.<br />
      I had one after my lunch.<br />
      Tom: Let's go into the living-room, Peggy.<br />
      We can have our coffee there.<br />
      Peggy: Excuse the mess, John.<br />
      This room's very untidy.<br />
      We're packing our suitcases.<br />
      We're going to leave tomorrow.<br />
      Tom and I are going to have a holiday.<br />
      John: Aren't you lucky!<br />
      Tom: When are you going to have a holiday, John?<br />
      John: I don't know.<br />
      I've already had my holiday this year.<br />
      Peggy: Where did you go?<br />
      John: I stayed at home!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 85<br />
      Paris in the SpringGeorge: Hullo, Ken.<br />
      Ken: Hullo, George.<br />
      George: Have you just been to the cinema?<br />
      Ken: Yes, I have.<br />
      George: What's on?<br />
      Ken: "Paris in the Spring".<br />
      George: Oh, I've already seen it.<br />
      I saw it on a B.<br />
      B.C.<br />
      television programme last year.<br />
      It's an old film, but it's very good.<br />
      Ken: Paris is a beautiful city.<br />
      George: I have never been there.<br />
      Have you ever been there, Ken?<br />
      Ken: Yes, I have.<br />
      I was there in April.<br />
      George: Paris in the spring, eh?<br />
      Ken: It was spring, but the weather was awful.<br />
      It rained all the time.<br />
      George: Just like dear old London!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 87<br />
      A car crashMr Wood: Is my car ready yet?<br />
      Attendant: I don't know, sir.<br />
      What's the licence number of your car?<br />
      Mr Wood: It's LFZ 312 G.<br />
      Attendant: When did you bring it to us?<br />
      Mr Wood: I bought it hear three days ago.<br />
      Attendant: Ah yes, I remember now.<br />
      Mr Wood: Have your mechanics finished yet?<br />
      Attendant: No, they're still working on it.<br />
      Let's go into the garage and have a look at it.<br />
      Attendant: Isn't that your car?<br />
      Mr Wood: Well, it was my car.<br />
      Attendant: Didn't your wife have a crash?<br />
      Mr Wood: That's right.<br />
      She drove it into a lamp post�����߸ˣ�.<br />
      Can your mechanics repair it?<br />
      Attendant: Well, they're trying to repair it, sir.<br />
      But to tell you the truth, you need a new car.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 89<br />
      For saleMr Hill: Good afternoon.<br />
      I believe that this house is for sale�����ۣ�.<br />
      Mr West: That's right.<br />
      Mr Hill: May I have a look at it please?<br />
      Mr West: Yes, of course.<br />
      Come in.<br />
      Mr Hill: How long have you lived here?<br />
      Mr West: I have lived here for twenty years.<br />
      Mr Hill: Twenty years!<br />
      That's a long time.<br />
      Mr West: Yes, I have been here since 1947.<br />
      Mr Hill: Then why do you want to sell it?<br />
      Mr West: Because I have just retired.<br />
      I want to buy a small house in the country.<br />
      Mr Hill: How much does this house cost?<br />
      Mr West: ��6850.<br />
      Mr Hill: That's a lot of money!<br />
      Mr West: It's worth every penny of it.<br />
      Mr Hill: Well, I like the house, but I can't decide yet.<br />
      My wife must see it first.<br />
      Mr West: Women always have the last word.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 91<br />
      Poor WestMrs Smith: Has Mr West sold his house yet?<br />
      Mrs Brown: Yes, he has.<br />
      He sold it last week.<br />
      Mrs Smith: Has he moved to his new house yet?<br />
      Mrs Brown: No, not yet.<br />
      He's still here.<br />
      He's going to move tomorrow.<br />
      Mrs Smith: When?<br />
      Tomorrow morning?<br />
      Mrs Brown: No.Tomorrow afternoon.<br />
      I'll miss him.<br />
      He has always been a good neighbour.<br />
      Mrs Green: He's a very nice person.<br />
      We shall all miss him.<br />
      Mrs Smith; When will the new people move into this house?<br />
      Mrs Brown: I think that they will move in the day after tomorrow.<br />
      Mrs Green: Will you see Mr West today, Mrs Brown?<br />
      Mrs Brown: Yes, I will.<br />
      Mrs Green: Please give him my regards.<br />
      ��give one's regards to sb.<br />
      ��sb.<br />
      �ʺ�Mr Smith: Poor Mr West!<br />
      He didn't want to leave this house.<br />
      Mrs Brown: No, he didn't want to leave, but his wife did!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 93<br />
      Our new neighborMr Hill is our new next-door neighbour.<br />
      He's a pilot.<br />
      He was in the R.<br />
      A.<br />
      F.<br />
      (�ʼҿվ�)He will fly to New York next month.<br />
      The month after next he will fly to Tokyo.<br />
      At the moment�����ڣ�, he's in Madrid.<br />
      He flew to Spain a week ago.<br />
      He will return to London the week after next.<br />
      He's only forty-one years old, and he has already been to nearly every
      country in the world.<br />
      Mr Hill is a very lucky man.<br />
      But his wife isn't very lucky.<br />
      She usually stays at home!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 95<br />
      Ticket, please.<br />
      George: Two return tickets to London please.<br />
      What time will the next train leave?<br />
      Attendant: At nineteen minutes past eight.<br />
      George: Which platform?<br />
      Attendant: Platform Two.<br />
      Over the bridge.<br />
      <br />
      Ken: What time will the next train leave?<br />
      George: At eight nineteen.<br />
      Ken: We've got plenty of time.<br />
      George: It's only three minutes to eight.<br />
      Ken: Let's go and have a drink.<br />
      There's a bar next door to the station.<br />
      George: We had better go back to the station now, Ken.<br />
      Porter: Tickets please.<br />
      George: We want to catch the eight nineteen to London.<br />
      Porter: You've just missed it!<br />
      George: What!<br />
      It's only eight fifteen.<br />
      Porter: I'm sorry, sir.<br />
      That clock's ten minutes slow.<br />
      George: When's the next train?<br />
      Porter: In five hours' time!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 97<br />
      A small blue caseMr Hall: I left a suitcase on the train to London the
      other day.<br />
      Attendant: Can you describe it, sir?<br />
      Mr Hall: It's a small blue case and it's got a zip.<br />
      There's a label on the handle with my name and address on it.<br />
      Attendant: Is this case yours?<br />
      Mr Hall: No, that's not mine.<br />
      Attendant: What about this one?<br />
      This one's got a label.<br />
      Mr Hall: Let me see it.<br />
      Attendant: What's you name and address?<br />
      Mr Hall: David Hall,83, Bridge Street.<br />
      Attendant: That's right.<br />
      D.<br />
      N.<br />
      Hall.<br />
      83.<br />
      Bridge Street.<br />
      Attendant: Three pound and fifty pence please.<br />
      Mr Hall: Here you are.<br />
      Attendant: Thank you.<br />
      Mr Hall: Hey!<br />
      Attendant: What's the matter?<br />
      Mr Hall: This case doesn't belong to me!<br />
      You've given me the wrong case!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 99<br />
      Ow!<br />
      Ted: Ow!<br />
      Pat: What's the matter, Ted?<br />
      Ted: I slipped and fell downstairs.<br />
      Pat: Have you hurt yourself?<br />
      Ted: Yes, I have.<br />
      I think that I've hurt my back.<br />
      Pat: Try and stand up.<br />
      Can you stand up?<br />
      <br />
      Here.<br />
      Let me help you.<br />
      Ted: I'm sorry, Pat.<br />
      I'm afraid that I can't get up.<br />
      Pat: I think that the doctor had better see you.<br />
      I'll telephone Dr Carter.<br />
      Pat: The doctor says that he will come at once.<br />
      I'm sure that you need an X-ray, Ted.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 101<br />
      A card from JimmyGrandmother: Read Jimmy's card to me please, Mary.<br />
      Mary: "I have just arrived in Scotland and I'm staying at a Youth
      Hostel."<br />
      <br />
      Grandmother: Eh?<br />
      Mary: He says he's just arrived in Scotland.<br />
      He says he's staying at a Youth Hostel.<br />
      You know he's a member of the Y.<br />
      H.<br />
      A.<br />
      Grandmother: The what?<br />
      Mary: The Y.<br />
      H.<br />
      A.<br />
      , mother.<br />
      The Youth Hostel's Association.<br />
      Grandmother: What else does he say?<br />
      Mary: "I'll write a letter soon.<br />
      I hope you are all well."<br />
      <br />
      Grandmother: What?<br />
      Speak up, Mary.<br />
      I'm afraid I can't hear you.<br />
      Mary: He says he'll write a letter soon.<br />
      He hopes we are all well."<br />
      Love, Jimmy."<br />
      <br />
      Grandmother: Is that all?<br />
      He doesn't say very much, does he?<br />
      Mary: He can't write very much on a card, mother.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 103<br />
      The Intelligence testHarry: How was the examination, Dick?<br />
      Dick: Not too bad.<br />
      I think I passed in English and Mathematics.<br />
      The questions were very easy.<br />
      How about you, Harry?<br />
      Harry: The English and Maths papers weren't easy enough for me.<br />
      I hope I haven't failed.<br />
      Dick: I think I failed the Intelligence Test.<br />
      I could answer sixteen of the questions.<br />
      They were very easy.<br />
      But I couldn't answer the rest.<br />
      They were too difficult for me.<br />
      Harry: Intelligence tests are awful, aren't they?<br />
      Dick: I hate them.<br />
      I'm sure I've got a low I.<br />
      Q.<br />
      Harry: Oh, cheer up�������㣩!<br />
      Perhaps we didn't do too badly.<br />
      The guy next to me wrote his name at the top of the paper.<br />
      Dick: Yes?<br />
      Harry: Then he sat there and looked at it for three hours!<br />
      He didn't write a word!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 105<br />
      Hello, Mr. boss.<br />
      The Boss: Where's Miss Simpson, Bob?<br />
      I want her.<br />
      Bob: Do you want to speak to her, sir?<br />
      The Boss: Yes, I do.<br />
      I want her to come to my office.<br />
      Tell her to come at once.<br />
      Miss Simpson: Did you want to see me, sir?<br />
      The Boss: Ah, yes, Miss Simpson.<br />
      How do you spell " intelligent"?<br />
      Can you tell me?<br />
      Miss Simpson: I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-E-N-T.<br />
      The Boss: That's right.<br />
      You've typed it with only one "L".<br />
      This letter's full of mistakes.<br />
      I want you to type it again.<br />
      Miss Simpson: Yes, I'll do that.<br />
      I'm sorry about that.<br />
      The Boss: And here's a little present for you.<br />
      Miss Simpson: What is it?<br />
      The Boss: It's a dictionary.<br />
      I hope it will help you.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 107<br />
      It's too smallAssistant: Do you like this dress, madam?<br />
      Lady: I like the colour very much.<br />
      It's a lovely dress, but it's too small for me.<br />
      Assistant: What about this one?<br />
      It's a lovely dress.<br />
      It's very smart.<br />
      <br />
      Short skirts are in fashion now.<br />
      Would you like to try it?<br />
      Lady: All right.<br />
      Lady: I'm afraid this green dress is too small for me as well.<br />
      It's smaller than the blue one.<br />
      Lady: I don't like the colour either.<br />
      It doesn't suit me at all.<br />
      I think the blue dress is prettier.<br />
      Lady: Could you show me another blue dress?<br />
      <br />
      I want a dress like that one, but it must be my size.<br />
      Assistant: I'm afraid I haven't got a larger dress.<br />
      This is the largest dress in the shop.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 109<br />
      A good ideaBetty: Shall I make some coffee, Jane?<br />
      Jane: That's a good idea, Betty.<br />
      Betty: It's ready.<br />
      Do you want any milk?<br />
      Jane: Just a little please.<br />
      Betty: What about some sugar?<br />
      Two teaspoonfuls?<br />
      Jane: No, less than that.<br />
      One and a half teaspoonfuls please.<br />
      That's enough for me.<br />
      Jane: That was very nice.<br />
      Betty: Would you like some more?<br />
      Jane: Yes, please.<br />
      Jane: I'd like a cigarette, too.<br />
      May I have one?<br />
      Betty: Of course.<br />
      I think there are a few in that box.<br />
      Jane: I'm afraid it's empty.<br />
      Betty: What a pity!<br />
      �����ź���Jane: It doesn't matter.<br />
      Betty: Have a biscuit instead.<br />
      Eat more and smoke less!<br />
      Jane: That's very good advice!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 111<br />
      The most expensive modelMr Frith: I like this record-player very much.<br />
      How much does it cost please?<br />
      Assistant: It's the most expensive model in the shop.<br />
      It costs sixty-four pounds.<br />
      Mrs Frith: That's too expensive for us.<br />
      We can't afford all that money.<br />
      Assistant: This model's less expensive than that one.<br />
      It's only twenty-eight pounds.<br />
      But, of course, it's not as good as the expensive one.<br />
      Mr Frith: I don't like this model.<br />
      The other model's more expensive, but it's worth the money.<br />
      Mr Frith: Can we buy it on instalments?<br />
      (���ڸ���)Assistant: Of course.<br />
      You can pay a deposit����֤�� of ten pounds, and then one pound a week for
      sixty weeks.<br />
      Mr Frith: Do you like it, dear?<br />
      Mrs Frith: I certainly do, but I don't like the price.<br />
      You always want the best, but we can't afford it.<br />
      Sometimes you think you're a millionaire!<br />
      Mr Frith: Millionaires don't buy things on instalments !<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 113<br />
      small changeConductor: Fares please!<br />
      Man: Trafalgar Square please.<br />
      Conductor: I'm sorry, sir.<br />
      I can't change a pound note.<br />
      Haven't you got any small change?<br />
      Man: I've got no small change, I'm afraid.<br />
      Conductor: I'll ask some of the passengers.<br />
      Conductor: Have you any small change, sir?<br />
      1st Passenger: I'm sorry.<br />
      I've got none.<br />
      2ndPassenger: I haven't got any either.<br />
      Conductor: Can you change this pound note, madam?<br />
      3rd Passenger: I'm afraid I can't.<br />
      4th Passenger: Neither can I.<br />
      Conductor: I'm very sorry, sir.<br />
      You must get off the bus.<br />
      None of our passengers can change this note.<br />
      They're all millionaires!<br />
      Two Tramps: Except us, conductor.<br />
      1st Tramp: I've got some small change.<br />
      2nd Tramp: So have I.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 115<br />
      Not .<br />
      .<br />
      .<br />
      .<br />
      Helen: Isn't there anyone at home?<br />
      Jim: I'll knock again, Helen.<br />
      Everything's very quiet.<br />
      I'm sure there's no one at home.<br />
      Helen: But that's impossible.<br />
      Pat and Tom invited us to lunch.<br />
      Look through the window.<br />
      Helen: Can you see anything?<br />
      Jim: Nothing at all.<br />
      Helen: Let's try the back door.<br />
      Jim: Look!<br />
      Everyone's in the garden.<br />
      Pat: Hullo, Helen.<br />
      Hullo, Jim.<br />
      Tom: Everybody wants to have lunch in the garden.<br />
      It's nice and warm out here.<br />
      Pat: Come and have something to drink.<br />
      Jim: Thanks, Pat.<br />
      May I have a glass of bear please?<br />
      Pat: Beer?<br />
      There's none left.<br />
      You can have some lemonade.<br />
      (����ˮ)Jim: Lemonade!<br />
      Tom: Don't believe her, Jim.<br />
      She's only joking.<br />
      Have some beer!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 117<br />
      Tommy's breakfastWhen my husband was going into the dining-room this
      morning , he dropped some coins on the floor.<br />
      There were coins everywhere.<br />
      We looked for them, but we could not find them all.<br />
      While we were having breakfast, our little boy, Tommy, found two small
      coins on the floor.<br />
      He put them both into his mouth.<br />
      We both tried to get the coins, but it was too late.<br />
      Tommy had already swallowed them!<br />
      Later that morning, when I was doing the housework, my husband telephoned
      me from the office."<br />
      <br />
      How's Tommy?"<br />
      he asked."<br />
      <br />
      I don't know," I answered, "Tommy's been to the lavatory three times this
      morning, but I haven't had any change yet!"<br />
      Book I Lesson 119<br />
      A true storyDo you like stories?<br />
      I want to tell you a true story.<br />
      It happened to a friend of mine a year ago.<br />
      While my friend, George, was reading in bed, two thieves climbed into his
      kitchen.<br />
      After they had entered the house, they went into the dining-room.<br />
      It was very dark, so they turned on a torch.<br />
      Suddenly, they heard a voice behind them."<br />
      What's up?<br />
      What's up?"<br />
      (ʲô��) someone called.<br />
      The thieves dropped the torch and ran away as quickly as they could.<br />
      George heard the noise and came downstairs quickly.<br />
      He turned on the light, but he couldn't see anyone.<br />
      The thieves had already gone.<br />
      But George's parrot, Henry, was still there."<br />
      <br />
      What's up, George?"<br />
      he called."<br />
      <br />
      Nothing, Henry," George said and smiled."<br />
      <br />
      Go back to sleep."<br />
      Book I Lesson 121<br />
      The man in the hatCustomer: I bought two expensive dictionaries here half
      an hour ago, but I forgot to take them with me.<br />
      Manager: Who served you, sir?<br />
      Customer: The lady who is standing behind the counter.<br />
      Manager: Which books did you buy?<br />
      Customer: The books which are on the counter.<br />
      Manager: Did you serve this gentleman half an hour ago, Miss Roberts?<br />
      <br />
      He says he's the man who bought these books.<br />
      Miss Roberts: I can't remember, sir.<br />
      The man whom I served was wearing a hat.<br />
      Manager: Have you got a hat, sir?<br />
      Customer: Yes, I have.<br />
      Manager: Would you put it on, please?<br />
      Customer: All right.<br />
      Manager: Is this the man that you served, Miss Roberts?<br />
      Miss Roberts: Yes, sir.<br />
      I recognize him now.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 123<br />
      A trip to Australia Bill: Look, Bob.<br />
      This is a photograph I took during my trip to Australia.<br />
      Bob: Let me see it, Bill.<br />
      Bob: This is a good photograph.<br />
      Who are these people?<br />
      Bill: They're people I met during the trip.<br />
      Bill: That's the ship we traveled on.<br />
      Bob: What a beautiful ship!<br />
      Bob: Who's this?<br />
      Bill: That's the man I told you about.<br />
      Remember?<br />
      Bob: Ah yes.<br />
      The one who offered you a job in Australia.<br />
      Bill: That's right.<br />
      Bob: Who's this?<br />
      Bill: Guess!<br />
      Bob: It's not you, is it?<br />
      Bill: That's right.<br />
      Bill: I grew a beard during the trip, but I shaved it off when I came
      home.<br />
      Bob: Why did you shave it off?<br />
      Bill: My wife didn't like it!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 125<br />
      Susan: Can't you come in and have tea now, Peter?<br />
      Peter: Not yet, dear.<br />
      I must water the garden first.<br />
      Susan: Do you have to water it now?<br />
      Peter: I'm afraid I must.<br />
      Look at it!<br />
      It's terribly dry.<br />
      Susan: What a nuisance!<br />
      �������ᣩPeter: Last summer it was very dry, too.<br />
      Don't you remember?<br />
      I had to water it every day.<br />
      Susan: Well, I'll have tea by myself.<br />
      Susan: That was quick!<br />
      Have you finished already?<br />
      Peter: Yes, dear.<br />
      Look out of the window.<br />
      Susan: Good heaven!<br />
      It's raining.<br />
      That means you needn't water the garden.<br />
      Peter: That was a pleasant surprise.<br />
      It means I can have tea, instead.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 127<br />
      A famous actressKate: Can you recognize that woman, Millie?<br />
      Millie: I think I can, Kate.<br />
      It must be Karen Marsh, the actress.<br />
      Kate: I thought so.<br />
      Who's that beside her?<br />
      Millie: That must be Conrad Reeves.<br />
      Kate: Conrad Reeves, the actor?<br />
      It can't be.<br />
      Let me have another look.<br />
      I think you're right!<br />
      Isn't he her third husband?<br />
      Millie: No, He must be her fourth or fifth.<br />
      Kate: Doesn't Karen Marsh look old!<br />
      Millie: She does, doesn't she!<br />
      I read she's twenty-nine, but she must be at least forty.<br />
      Kate: I'm sure she is.<br />
      Millie: She was a famous actress when I was still a schoolgirl.<br />
      Kate: That was a long time ago, wasn't it?<br />
      Millie: Not that long ago!<br />
      I'm not more than twenty-nine myself.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 129<br />
      70 miles an hourAnn: Look, Harry!<br />
      That policeman's waving to you.<br />
      He wants you to stop.<br />
      Policeman: Where do you think you are?<br />
      On a race track?<br />
      You must have been driving at seventy miles an hour.<br />
      Harry: I can't have been.<br />
      Policeman: I was doing eighty when I overtook you.<br />
      Policeman: Didn't you see the speed limit?<br />
      Harry: I'm afraid I didn't, officer.<br />
      I must have been dreaming .<br />
      Ann: He wasn't dreaming, officer.<br />
      I was telling him to drive slowly.<br />
      Harry: That's why I didn't see the sign.<br />
      Policeman: Let me see your driving-license and your insurance
      certificate.<br />
      Policeman: I won't charge you this time.<br />
      But you'd better not do it again!<br />
      Harry: Thank you.<br />
      I'll certainly be more careful.<br />
      Ann: I told you to drive slowly, Harry.<br />
      Harry: You always tell me to drive slowly, darling.<br />
      Ann: Well, next time you'd better take my advice!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 131<br />
      Don't be so sureRoy: Where are you going to spend your holidays this year,
      Harry?<br />
      Harry: We may go abroad.<br />
      I'm not sure.<br />
      My wife wants to go to Egypt.<br />
      I'd like to go there, too.<br />
      We can't make up our minds.<br />
      Roy: Will you travel by sea or by air?<br />
      Harry: We may travel by sea.<br />
      Roy: It's cheaper, isn't it?<br />
      Harry: It may be cheaper, but it takes a long time.<br />
      Roy: I'm sure you will enjoy yourselves.<br />
      Harry: Don't be so sure.<br />
      We may not go anywhere.<br />
      My wife always worries too much.<br />
      <br />
      Who's going to look after the dog?<br />
      <br />
      Who's going to look after the house?<br />
      <br />
      Who's going to look after the garden?<br />
      <br />
      We have this problem every year.<br />
      In the end, we stay at home and look after everything!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 133<br />
      Sensational newsReporter: Have you just made a new film, Miss Marsh?<br />
      Miss Marsh: Yes, I have.<br />
      Reporter: Are you going to make another?<br />
      Miss Marsh: No, I'm not.<br />
      I'm going to retire.<br />
      I feel very tired.<br />
      I don't want to make another film for a long time.<br />
      <br />
      Kate: let's buy a newspaper, Millie.<br />
      <br />
      Listen to this!"<br />
      Karen Marsh: Sensational News!<br />
      ���䶯���ţ� By our reporter, Alan Jones.<br />
      Miss Karen Marsh arrived at London Airport today.<br />
      She was wearing a blue dress and a mink coat.<br />
      She told me she had just made a new film.<br />
      She said she was not going to make another.<br />
      She said she was going to retire.<br />
      She told reporters she felt very tired and didn't want to make another
      film for a long time."<br />
      <br />
      Millie: Well, fancy that, Kate!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 135<br />
      The latest reportReporter: Are you really going to retire, Miss marsh?<br />
      Miss Marsh: I may.<br />
      I can't make up my mind.<br />
      I shall have to ask my future husband.<br />
      He won't let me make another film.<br />
      Reporter: Your future husband, Miss Marsh?<br />
      Miss Marsh: Yes.<br />
      Let me introduce him to you.<br />
      His name is Carlos.<br />
      We are going to get married next week.<br />
      <br />
      Kate: Look, Millie!<br />
      Here's another report about Karen Marsh.<br />
      Listen:" Karen Marsh: The Latest.<br />
      At her London Hotel today Miss Marsh told reporters she might retire.<br />
      She said she couldn't make up her mind.<br />
      She said she would have to ask her future husband.<br />
      She said her future husband would not let her make another film.<br />
      Then she introduced us to Carlos and told us they would get married next
      week."<br />
      <br />
      Millie: That's sensational news, isn't it, Kate?<br />
      Kate: It certainly is.<br />
      He'll be her sixth husband!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 137<br />
      A pleasant dreamJune: Are you doing the football pools(��ע), Brian?<br />
      Brian: Yes, I've nearly finished, June.<br />
      I'm sure we will win something this week.<br />
      June: You always say that, but we never win anything!<br />
      What will you do if you win a lot of money?<br />
      Brian: If I win a lot of money , I shall buy you a mink coat.<br />
      June: I don't want a mink coat!<br />
      I want to see the world.<br />
      �������棩Brian: All right.<br />
      If we win a lot of money, we shall travel around the world and we shall
      stay at the best hotels.<br />
      Then we shall return home and buy a big house in the country.<br />
      We shall have a beautiful garden and.<br />
      .<br />
      .<br />
      June: But if we spend all that money we shall be poor again.<br />
      What shall we do then?<br />
      Brian: If we spend all the money, we shall try and win the football pools
      again.<br />
      June: It's a pleasant dream, but everything depends on "if"!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 139<br />
      Is that you, John?<br />
      Mr Grimes: Is that you, John?<br />
      John Smith: Yes, speaking.<br />
      Mr Grimes: Tell Mary we shall be late for dinner this evening.<br />
      John Smith: I'm afraid I don't understand.<br />
      Mr Grimes: Hasn't Mary told you?<br />
      She invited betty and me to dinner this evening.<br />
      I said I would be at your house at six o'clock, but the boss wants me to
      do some extra work.<br />
      I'll have to stay at the office.<br />
      I don't know when I shall finish.<br />
      Oh, and by the way, my wife wants to know if Mary needs any help.<br />
      John Smith: I don't know what you're talking about.<br />
      Mr Grimes: That is John Smith, isn't it?<br />
      John Smith: Yes, I'm John Smith.<br />
      Mr Grimes: You are John Smith, the engineer, aren't you?<br />
      John Smith: That's right.<br />
      Mr Grimes: You work for the Overseas Engineering Company, don't you?<br />
      John Smith: No, I don't.<br />
      I'm John Smith the telephone engineer and I'm repairing your telephone
      line.<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 141 Sally's first train rideLast week, my four year old
      daughter, Sally, was invited to a children's party.<br />
      I decided to take her by train.<br />
      Sally was very excited because she had never traveled on a train
      before.<br />
      She sat near the window and asked questions about everything she saw.<br />
      Suddenly, a middle-aged lady got on the train and sat opposite Sally."<br />
      <br />
      Hull, little girl."<br />
      <br />
      She said.<br />
      Sally did not answer, but looked at her curiously.<br />
      The lady was dressed in a blue coat and a large, funny hat.<br />
      After the train had left the station, the lady opened her handbag and took
      out her powder compact(�ۺ�).<br />
      She then began to make up her face."<br />
      <br />
      Why are you doing that?"<br />
      Sally asked."<br />
      <br />
      To make myself beautiful," the lady answered.<br />
      She put away her compact and smiled kindly."<br />
      <br />
      But you are still ugly."<br />
      <br />
      Sally said.<br />
      Sally was amused, but I was very embarrassed!<br />
      <br />
      Book I Lesson 143<br />
      A walk through the woodsI live in a very old town which is surrounded by
      beautiful woods.<br />
      It is a famous beauty spot���羰�ص㣩.<br />
      On Sundays, hundreds of people come from the city to see our town and to
      walk through the woods.<br />
      Visitors have been asked to keep the woods clean and tidy.<br />
      Litter-baskets have been placed under the trees, but people still throw
      their rubbish everywhere.<br />
      Last Wednesday, I went for a walk in the woods.<br />
      What I saw made me very sad.<br />
      I counted seven old cars and three old refrigerators.<br />
      The litter-baskets were empty and the ground was covered with pieces of
      paper, cigarette-ends, old tyres, empty bottles and rusty tins.<br />
      Among the rubbish I found a sign which said:" Anyone who leaves litter in
      these woods will be prosecuted.<br />
      (����)"!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 1<br />
      A private conversation ˽��̸��Last week I went to the theatre.<br />
      I had a very good seat.<br />
      The play was very interesting.<br />
      I did not enjoy it.<br />
      A young man and a young woman were sitting behind me.<br />
      They were talking loudly.<br />
      I got very angry.<br />
      I could not hear the actors.<br />
      I turned round.<br />
      I looked at the man and the woman angrily.<br />
      They did not pay any attention.<br />
      In the end, I could not bear it.<br />
      I turned round again.<br />
      'I can't hear a word!' <br />
      I said angrily.' <br />
      It's none of your business,' the young man said rudely.<br />
      'This is a private conversation!'.<br />
      <br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 2<br />
      Breakfast or lunch?<br />
      ��ͻ�����ͣ�<br />
      It was Sunday.<br />
      I never get up early on Sundays.<br />
      I sometimes stay in bed until lunch time.<br />
      Last Sunday I got up very late.<br />
      I looked out of the window.<br />
      It was dark outside.<br />
      'What a day!' <br />
      I thought.<br />
      'It's raining again.' <br />
      Just then, the telephone rang.<br />
      It was my aunt Lucy.' <br />
      I've just arrived by train,' she said.<br />
      'I'm coming to see you.' <br />
      'But I'm still having breakfast,' I said.<br />
      'What are you doing ?' <br />
      she asked.' <br />
      I'm having breakfast,' I repeated.<br />
      'Dear me,' she said.<br />
      'Do you always get up so late ?<br />
      It's one o'clock!'<br />
      '<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 3<br />
      Please send me a card ����Ҽ�һ������Ƭ Postcards always spoil my
      holidays.<br />
      Last summer, I went to Italy.<br />
      I visited museums and sat in public gardens.<br />
      A friendly waiter taught me a few words of Italian.<br />
      'Then he lent me a book.<br />
      I read a few lines, but I did not understand a word.<br />
      Every day I thought about postcards.<br />
      My holidays passed quickly, but I did not send any cards to my friends.<br />
      On the last day I made a big decision.<br />
      I got up early and bought thirty-seven cards.<br />
      I spent the whole day in my room, but I did not write a single card !<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 4<br />
      An exciting trip �������ĵ�����I have just received a letter from my
      brother, Tim.<br />
      He is in Australia.<br />
      He has been there for six months.<br />
      Tim is an engineer.<br />
      He is working for a big firm and he has already visited a great number of
      different places in Australia.<br />
      He has just bought an Australian car and has gone to Alice Springs, a
      small town in the centre of Australia.<br />
      He will soon visit Darwin.<br />
      From there, he will fly to Perth.<br />
      My brother has never been abroad before, so he is finding this trip very
      exciting.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 5<br />
      No wrong numbers �޴���֮�� Mr James Scott has a garage in Silbury and now
      he has just bought another garage in Pinhurst.<br />
      Pinhurst is only five miles from Silbury, but Mr Scott cannot get a
      telephone for his new garage, so he has just bought twelve pigeons.<br />
      Yesterday, a pigeon carried the first message from Pinhurst to Silbury.<br />
      The bird covered the distance in three minutes.<br />
      Up to now, Mr Scott has sent a great many requests for spare parts and
      other urgent messages from one garage to the other.<br />
      In this way, he has begun his own private telephone service.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 6<br />
      Percy Buttons �������Ͷ�˹I have just moved to a house in Bridge Street.<br />
      Yesterday a beggar knocked at my door.<br />
      He asked me for a meal and a glass of beer.<br />
      In return for this, the beggar stood on his head and sang songs.<br />
      I gave him a meal.<br />
      He ate the food and drank the beer.<br />
      Then he put a piece of cheese in his pocket and went away.<br />
      Later a neighbour told me about him.<br />
      Everybody knows him.<br />
      His name is Percy Buttons.<br />
      He calls at every house in the street once a month and always asks for a
      meal and a glass of beer.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 7<br />
      Too late Ϊʱ̫�� The plane was late and detectives were waiting at the
      airport all morning.<br />
      They were expecting a valuable parcel of diamond from South Africa.<br />
      A few hours earlier, someone had told the police that thieves would try to
      steal the diamonds.<br />
      When the plane arrived, some of the detectives were waiting inside the
      main building while others were waiting on the airfield.<br />
      Two men took the parcel off the plane and carried it into the Customs
      House.<br />
      While two detectives were keeping guard at the door, two others opened the
      parcel.<br />
      To their surprise, the precious parcel was full of stones and sand!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 8<br />
      The best and the worst ��õĺ�����Joe Sanders has the most beautiful garden
      in our town.<br />
      Nearly everybody enters for 'The Nicest Garden Competition' each year, but
      Joe wins every time.<br />
      Bill Frith's garden is larger than Joe's.<br />
      Bill works harder than Joe and grows more flowers and vegetables, but
      Joe's garden is more interesting.<br />
      He has made neat paths and has built a wooden bridge over a pool.<br />
      I like gardens too, but I do not like hard work.<br />
      Every year I enter for the garden competition too, and I always win a
      little prize for the worst garden in the town!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 9<br />
      A cold welcome ����On Wednesday evening, we went to the Town Hall.<br />
      It was the last day of the year and a large crowd of people had gathered
      under the Town Hall clock.<br />
      It would strike twelve in twenty minutes' time.<br />
      Fifteen minutes passed and then, at five to twelve, the clock stopped.<br />
      The big minute hand did not move.<br />
      We waited and waited, but nothing happened.<br />
      Suddenly someone shouted, 'It's two minutes past twelve!<br />
      The clock has stopped!' <br />
      I looked at my watch.<br />
      It was true.<br />
      The big clock refused to welcome the New Year.<br />
      At that moment everybody began to laugh and sing.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 10<br />
      Not for jazz �����������ʿ��We have an old musical instrument.<br />
      It is called a clavichord(����).<br />
      It was made in Germany in 1681.<br />
      Our clavichord is kept in the living-room.<br />
      It has belong to our family for a long time.<br />
      The instrument was bought by my grandfather many years ago.<br />
      Recently it was damaged by a visitor.<br />
      She tried to play jazz on it!<br />
      She struck the keys too hard and two of the strings were broken.<br />
      My father was shocked.<br />
      Now we are not allowed to touch it.<br />
      It is being repaired by a friend of my father's.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 11<br />
      One good turn deserves another ��������I was having dinner at a restaurant
      when Harry Steele came in.<br />
      Harry worked in a lawyer's office years ago, but he is now working at a
      bank.<br />
      He gets a good salary, but he always borrows money from his friends and
      never pays it back.<br />
      Harry saw me and came and sat at the same table.<br />
      He has never borrowed money from me.<br />
      While he was eating, I asked him to lend me &amp;2.<br />
      To my surprise, he gave me the money immediately.<br />
      'I have never borrowed any money from you,' Harry said, 'so now you can
      pay for my dinner!<br />
      '<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 12<br />
      Goodbye and good luck �ټ���һ·˳��Our ncighbour, Captain Charles Alison,
      will sail from Portsmouth tomorrow.<br />
      We shall meet him at the harbour early in the morning.<br />
      He will be in his small boat, Topsail.<br />
      Tapsail is a famous little boat.<br />
      It has sailed across the Atlantic many times.<br />
      Captain Alison will set out at eight o'clock so we shall have plenty of
      time.<br />
      We shall see his boat and then we shall say good-bye to him.<br />
      He will be away for two months.<br />
      We are very proud of him.<br />
      He will take part in an important race across the Atlantic.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 13<br />
      The Greenwood Boys ��������The Greenwood Boys are a group of popular
      singers.<br />
      At present, they are visiting all parts of the country.<br />
      They will be arriving here tomorrow.<br />
      They will be coming by train and most of the youngpeople in the town will
      be meeting them at the station.<br />
      Tomorrow evening they will be singing at the Workers' Club.<br />
      The Greenwood Boys will be staying for five days.<br />
      During this time, they will give five performances.<br />
      As usual, the police will have a difficult time.<br />
      They will be trying to keep order.<br />
      It is always the same on these occasions.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 14<br />
      Do you speak English?<br />
      ��ὲӢ����I had an amusing experience last year.<br />
      After I had left a small village in the south of France, I drove on to the
      next town.<br />
      On the way, a young man waved to me.<br />
      I stopped and he asked me for a lift.<br />
      As soon as he had got into the car, I said good morning to him in French
      and he replied in the same language.<br />
      Apart from a few words, I do not know any French at all.<br />
      Neither of us spoke during the journey.<br />
      I had nearly reached the town, when the young man suddenly said, very
      slowly, 'Do you speak English?' <br />
      As I soon learnt, he was English himself!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 15<br />
      Good news ���� The secretary told me that Mr. Harmsworth would see me.<br />
      I felt very nervous when.<br />
      I went into his office.<br />
      He did not look up from his desk when I entered.<br />
      After I had sat down, he said that business was very bad.<br />
      He told me that the firm could not afford to pay such large salaries.<br />
      Twenty people had already left.<br />
      I knew that my turn had come.<br />
      'Mr. Harmsworth,' I said in a weak voice.<br />
      'Don't interrupt,' he Said.<br />
      Then he smiled and told me I would receive an extra &amp;100 a year!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 16<br />
      A polite request ��������Ҫ��If you park your car in the wrong place, a
      traffic policeman will soon find it.<br />
      You will be very lucky if he lets you go without a ticket.<br />
      However, this does not always happen.<br />
      Traffic police are sometimes very polite.<br />
      During a holiday in Sweden, I found this note on my car:' Sir, we welcome
      you to our city.<br />
      This is a "No Parking" area.<br />
      You will enjoy your stay here if you pay attention to our street signs.<br />
      This note is only a reminder.' <br />
      If you receive a request like this, you cannot fail to obey it!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 17<br />
      Always young ���곣פMy aunt Jennifer is an actress.<br />
      She must be at least thirty-five years old.<br />
      In spite of this, she often appears on the stage as a young girl.<br />
      Jennifer will have to take part in a new play soon.<br />
      This time, she will be a girl of seventeen.<br />
      In the play, she must appear in a bright red dress and long black
      stockings.<br />
      Last year in another play, she had to wear short socks and a bright,
      orange-coloured dress.<br />
      If anyone ever asked her how old she is, she always answers, 'My dear, it
      must be terrible to be grown up!<br />
      '<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 18<br />
      He often does this!<br />
      �������������£�After I had had lunch at a village inn, I looked for my
      bag.<br />
      I had left it on a chair beside the door and now it wasn't there !<br />
      As I was looking for it, the inn-keeper came in.<br />
      'Did you have a good meal ?' <br />
      he asked.<br />
      'Yes, thank you,' I answered, 'but I can't pay the bill.<br />
      I haven't got my bag.' <br />
      The inn-keeper smiled and immediately went out.<br />
      In a few minutes he returned with my bag and gave it back to me.<br />
      'I'm very sorry,' he said ' My dog had taken it into the garden.<br />
      He often does this.<br />
      '<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 19<br />
      Sold out Ʊ������'The play may begin at any moment,' I said.<br />
      'It may have begun already,' Susan answered.<br />
      'I hurried to the ticket-office.<br />
      'May I have two tickets please ?' <br />
      I asked.<br />
      'I'm sorry, we've sold out,' the girl said.<br />
      'What a pity!' <br />
      Susan exclaimed.<br />
      Just then, a man hurried to the ticket-office.<br />
      'Can I return these two tickets?' <br />
      he asked.<br />
      'Certainly,' the girl said.<br />
      'Could I have those two tickets please ?' <br />
      I asked.<br />
      'Certainly, 'the girl said, 'but they are for next Wednesday's
      performance.<br />
      'I might as well have them,' I said sadly.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 20<br />
      One man in a boat ��������Fishing is my favourite sport.<br />
      I often fish for hours without catching anything.<br />
      But this does not worry me.<br />
      Some fishermen are unlucky.<br />
      Instead of catching fish, they catch old boots and rubbish.<br />
      I am even less lucky.<br />
      I never catch anything-not even old boots.<br />
      After having spent whole mornings on the river, I always go home with an
      empty bag.<br />
      'You must give up fishing!' <br />
      my friends say.' <br />
      It's a waste of time.' <br />
      But they don't realize one important thing.<br />
      I'm not really interested in fishing.<br />
      I am only interested in sitting in a boat and doing nothing at all !<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 21<br />
      Mad or not?<br />
      �ǲ��Ƿ��ˣ�Aeroplanes are slowly driving me mad.<br />
      I live near an airport and passing planes can be heard night and day.<br />
      The airport was built during the war, but for some reason it could not be
      used then.<br />
      Last year, however, it came into use.<br />
      Over a hundred people must have been driven away from their homes by the
      noise.<br />
      I am one of the few people left.<br />
      Sometimes I think this house will be knocked down by a passing plane.<br />
      I have been offered a large sum of money to go away, but I am determined
      to stay here.<br />
      Everybody says I must be mad and they are probably right.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 22 <br />
      A glass envelope �����ŷ�My daughter, Jane, never dreamed of receiving a
      letter from a girl of her own age in Holland.<br />
      Last year, we were travelling across the Channel and Jane put a piece of
      paper with her name and address on it into a bottle.<br />
      She threw the bottle into the sea.<br />
      She never thought of it again, but ten months later, she received a letter
      from a girl in Holland.<br />
      Both girls write to each other regularly now.<br />
      However, they have decided to use the post-office.<br />
      Letters will cost a litt1e more, but they will certainly travel faster.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 23 <br />
      A new house �¾�I had a letter from my sister yesterday.<br />
      She lives in Nigeria.<br />
      In her letter, she said that she would come to England next year.<br />
      If she comes, she will get a surprise.<br />
      We are now living in a beautiful new house in the country.<br />
      Work on it had begun before my sister left.<br />
      The house was completed five months ago.<br />
      In my letter, I told her that she could stay with us.<br />
      The house has many large rooms and there is a lovely garden.<br />
      It is a very modern house, so it looks strange to some people.<br />
      It must be the only modern house in the district.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 24<br />
      It could be worse ������֮����I entered the hotel manager's office and sat
      down.<br />
      I had just lost &amp;50 and I felt very upset.' <br />
      I left the money in my room,' I said, 'and it's not there now.' <br />
      The manager was sympathetic, but he could do nothing.<br />
      'Everyone's losing money these days,' he said.<br />
      He started to complain about this wicked world but was interrupted by a
      knock at the door.<br />
      A girl came in and put an envelope on his desk.<br />
      It contained &amp;5o.<br />
      'I found this outside this gentleman's room' she said.<br />
      'Well,' I said to the manager, 'there is still some honesty in this world
      !<br />
      '<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 25<br />
      Do the English speak English?<br />
      Ӣ���˽�����Ӣ����I arrived in London at last.<br />
      The railway station was big, black and dark.<br />
      I did not know the way to my hotel, so I asked a porter.<br />
      I not only spoke English very carefully, but very clearly as well.<br />
      The porter, however, could not understand me; I repeated my question
      several times and at last he understood.<br />
      He answered me, but he spoke neither slowly nor clearly.<br />
      'I am a foreigner,' I said.<br />
      Then he spoke slowly, but I could not understand him.<br />
      My teacher never spoke English like that!<br />
      The porter and I looked at each other and smiled.<br />
      Then he said something and I understood it.<br />
      'You'll soon learn English!' <br />
      he said.<br />
      I wonder.<br />
      In England, each man speaks a different language.<br />
      The English understand each other, but I don't understand them !<br />
      Do they speak English ?<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 26<br />
      The best art critics ����������ۼ�I am an art student and I paint a lot of
      pictures.<br />
      Many people pretend that they understand modern art.<br />
      They always tell you what a picture is 'about'.<br />
      Of course, many pictures arc not 'about' anything.<br />
      They are just pretty patterns.<br />
      We like them in the same way that we like pretty curtain material.<br />
      I think that young children often appreciate modern pictures better than
      anyone else.<br />
      They notice more.<br />
      My sister is only seven, but she always tells me whether my pictures are
      good or not.<br />
      She came into my room yesterday.' <br />
      What are you doing ?' <br />
      she asked.' <br />
      I'm hanging this picture on the wall,' I answered.<br />
      'It's a new one.<br />
      Do you like it ?' <br />
      She looked at it critically for a moment.' <br />
      It's all right,' she said, 'but isn't it upside-down ?' <br />
      I looked at it again.<br />
      She was right!<br />
      It was!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 27<br />
      A wet night ��ҹLate in the afternoon, the boys put up their tent in the
      middle of a field.<br />
      As soon as this was done, they cooked a meal over an open fire.<br />
      They were all hungry and the food smelt good.<br />
      After a wonderful meal, they told stories and sang songs by the camp
      fire.<br />
      But some time later it began to rain.<br />
      The boys felt tired so they pet out the fire and crept into their tent.<br />
      Their sleeping-bags were warm and comfortable, so they all slept
      soundly.<br />
      In the middle of the night, two boys woke up and began shouting.<br />
      The tent was full of water!<br />
      They all leapt out of their sleeping-bags and hurried outside.<br />
      It was raining heavily and they found that a stream had formed in the
      field.<br />
      The stream wound its way across the field and then flowed right under
      their tent!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 28<br />
      No parking ��ֹͣ��Jasper White is one of those rare people who believes in
      ancient myths.<br />
      He has just bought a new house in the city, but ever since he moved in, he
      has had trouble with motorists.<br />
      when he returns home at night, he always finds that someone has parked a
      car outside his gate.<br />
      Because of this, he has not been able to get his own car into his garage
      even once.<br />
      Jasper has put up' No Parking' signs outside his gate, but these have not
      had any effect.<br />
      Now he has put an ugly stone head over the gate.<br />
      It is one of the ugliest faces I have ever seen.<br />
      I asked him what it was and he told me that it was Medusa, the Gorgon.<br />
      Jasper hopes that she will turn motorists to stone.<br />
      But none of them has been turned to stone yet!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 29<br />
      Taxi!<br />
      ����������Captain Ben Fawcett has bought an unusual taxi and has begun a
      new service.<br />
      The 'taxi' is a small Swiss aeroplane called a 'Pilatus Porter'.<br />
      This wonderful plane can carry seven passengers.<br />
      The most surprising thing about it, however, is that it can land anywhere:
      on snow, water, or even on a ploughed field.<br />
      Captain Fawcett's first passenger was a doctor who flew from Birmingham to
      a lonely village in the Welsh mountains.<br />
      Since then, Captain Fawcett has flown passengers to many unusual
      places.<br />
      Once he landed on the roof of a block of flats and on another occasion, he
      landed in a deserted car park.<br />
      Captain Fawcett has just refused a strange request from a businessman.<br />
      The man wanted to fly to Rockall, a lonely island in the Atlantic Ocean,
      but Captain Fawcett did not take him because the trip was too
      dangerous.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 30<br />
      Football or polo?<br />
      ������ˮ��The Wayle is a small river that cuts across the park near my
      home.<br />
      I like sitting by the Wayle on fine afternoons.<br />
      It was warm last Sunday, so I went and sat on the river bank as usual.<br />
      Some children were playing games on the bank and there were some people
      rowing on the river.<br />
      Suddenly, one of the children kicked a ball very hard and it went towards
      a passing boat.<br />
      Some people on the bank called out to the man in the boat, but he did not
      hear them.<br />
      The ball struck him so hard that he nearly fell into the water.<br />
      I turned to look at the children, but there weren't any in sight: they had
      all run away!<br />
      The man laughed when he realized what had happened.<br />
      He called out to the children and threw the ball back to the bank.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 31<br />
      Success story �ɹ��ߵĹ���Yesterday afternoon Frank Hawkins was telling me
      about his experiences as a young man.<br />
      Frank is now the head of a very large business company, but as a boy he
      used to work in a small shop.<br />
      It was his job to repair bicycles and at that time he used to work
      fourteen hours a day.<br />
      He saved money for years and in 1938 he bought a small work-shop of his
      own.<br />
      During the war Frank used to make spare parts for aeroplanes.<br />
      At that time he had two helpers.<br />
      By the end of the war, the small work-shop had become a large factory
      which employed seven hundred and twenty-eight people.<br />
      Frank smiled when he remembered his hard early years and the long road to
      success.<br />
      He was still smiling when the door opened and his wife came in.<br />
      She wanted him to repair their son's bicycle!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 32<br />
      Shopping made easy �����úܷ���People are not so honest as they once
      were.<br />
      The temptation to steal is greater than ever before--especially in large
      shops.<br />
      A detective recently watched a well-dressed woman who always went into a
      large store on Monday mornings.<br />
      One Monday, there were fewer people in the shop than usual when the woman
      came in, so it was easier for the detective to watch her.<br />
      The woman first bought a few small articles.<br />
      After a little time, she chose one of the most expensive dresses in the
      shop and handed it to an assistant who wrapped it up for her as quickly as
      possible.<br />
      Then the woman simply took the parcel and walked out of the shop without
      paying.<br />
      When she was arrested, the detective found out that the shop-assistant was
      her daughter.<br />
      The girl' gave' her mother a free dress once a week !<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 33 <br />
      Out of the darkness ����ڰ�Nearly a week passed before the girl was able to
      explain what had happened to her.<br />
      One afternoon she set out from the coast in a small boat and was caught in
      a storm.<br />
      Towards evening, the boat struck a rock and the girl jumped into the
      sea.<br />
      Then she swam to the shore after spending the whole night in the water.<br />
      During that time she covered a distance of eight miles.<br />
      Early next morning, she saw a light ahead.<br />
      She knew she was near the shore because the light was high up on the
      cliffs.<br />
      On arriving at the shore, the girl struggled up the cliff towards the
      light she had seen.<br />
      That was all she remembered.<br />
      When she woke up a day later, she found herself in hospital.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 34<br />
      Quick work �ư������١�Ted Robinson has been worried all the week.<br />
      Last Tuesday he received a letter from the local police.<br />
      In the letter he was asked to call at the station.<br />
      Ted wondered why he was wanted by the police, but he went to the station
      yesterday and now he is not worried any more.<br />
      At the station, he was told by a smiling policeman that his bicycle had
      been found.<br />
      Five days ago, the policeman told him, the bicycle was picked up in a
      small village four hundred miles away.<br />
      It is now being sent to his home by train.<br />
      Ted was most surprised when he heard the news.<br />
      He was amused too, because he never expected the bicycle to be found.<br />
      It was stolen twenty years ago when Ted was a boy of fifteen !<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 35<br />
      Stop thief!<br />
      ׽����Rov Trenton used to drive a taxi.<br />
      A short while ago, however, he became a bus-driver and he was not
      regretted it.<br />
      He is finding his new work far more exciting.<br />
      When he was driving along Catford Street recently, he saw two thieves rush
      out of a shop and run towards a waiting car.<br />
      One of them was carrying a bag full of money.<br />
      Roy acted quickly and drove the bus straight at the thieves.<br />
      The one with the money got such a fright that he dropped the bag.<br />
      As the thieves were trying to get away in their car, Roy drove his bus
      into the back of it.<br />
      While the battered car was moving away, Roy stopped his bus and telephoned
      the police.<br />
      The thieves' car was badly damaged and easy to recognize.<br />
      Shortly afterwards, the police stopped the car and both men were
      arrested.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 36<br />
      Across the Channel ��ɺ�ϿErna Hart is going to swim across the English
      Channel tomorrow.<br />
      She is going to set out from the French coast at five o'clock in the
      morning.<br />
      Erna is only fourteen years old and she hopes lo set up a new world
      record.<br />
      She is a strong swimmer and many people feel that she is sure to
      succeed.<br />
      Erna's father will set out with her in a small boat.<br />
      Mr Hart has trained his daughter for years.<br />
      Tomorrow he will be watching her anxiously as she swims the long distance
      to England.<br />
      Erna intends to take short rests every two hours.<br />
      She will have something to drink but she will not eat any solid food.<br />
      Most of Erna's school friends will be waiting for her on the English
      coast.<br />
      Among them will be Erna's mother, who swam the Channel herself when she
      was a girl.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 37<br />
      The Olympic Games ����ƥ���˶���The Olympic Games will be held in our
      country in four years' time.<br />
      As a great many people will be visiting the country, the government will
      be building new hotels, an immense stadium, and a fine new swimming
      pool.<br />
      'They will also be building new roads and a special railway-line.<br />
      The Games will be held just outside the capital and the whole area will be
      called 'Olympic City'.<br />
      Workers will have completed the new roads by the end of this year.<br />
      By the end of next year, they will have finished work on the new
      stadium.<br />
      The fine modern buildings have been designed by Kurt Gunter.<br />
      Everybody will be watching anxiously as the new buildings go up.<br />
      We are all very excited and are looking forward to the Olympic Games
      because they have never been held before in this country.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 38<br />
      Everything except the weather Ω��û�п��ǵ�����My old friend, Harrison, had
      lived in the Mediterranean for many years before he returned to
      England.<br />
      He had often dreamed of retiring in England and had planned to settle down
      in the country.<br />
      He had no sooner returned than he bought a fine house and went to live
      there.<br />
      Almost immediately he began to complain about the weather, for even though
      it was still summer, it rained continually and it was often bitterly
      cold.<br />
      After so many years of sunshine, Harrison got a shock.<br />
      He acted as if he had never lived in England before.<br />
      In the end, it was more than he could bear.<br />
      He had hardly had time to settle down when he sold the house and left the
      country.<br />
      The dream he had had for so many years ended there.<br />
      Harrison had thought of everything except the weather.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 39<br />
      Am I all right?<br />
      ���Ƿ�Ȭ����While John Gilbert was in hospital, he asked his doctor to tell
      him whether his operation had been successful, but the doctor refused to
      do so.<br />
      The following day, the patient asked for a bedside telephone.<br />
      When he was alone, he telephoned the hospital exchange and asked for
      Doctor Millington.<br />
      When the doctor answered the phone, Mr Gilbert said he was inquiring about
      a certain patient, a Mr John Gilbert.<br />
      He asked if Mr Gilbert's operation had been successful and the doctor told
      him that it had been.<br />
      He then asked when Mr Gilbert would be allowed to go home and the doctor
      told him that he would have to stay in hospital for another two weeks.<br />
      Then Dr Millington asked the caller if he was a relative of the patient.'
      <br />
      No,' the patient answered,' I am Mr John Gilbert.' <br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 40<br />
      Food and talk �����뽻̸Last week at a dinner-party, the hostess asked me to
      sit next to Mrs Rumbold.<br />
      Mrs Rumbold was a large, unsmiling lady in a tight black dress.<br />
      She did not even look up when I took my seat beside her.<br />
      Her eyes were fixed on her plate and in a short time, she was busy
      eating.<br />
      I tried to make conversation.' <br />
      A new play is coming to" The Globe" soon,' I said.<br />
      'Will you be seeing it ?' <br />
      ' No,' she answered.<br />
      'Will you be spending your holidays abroad this year ?' <br />
      I asked.' <br />
      No,' she answered.' <br />
      Will you be staying in England?' <br />
      I asked.' <br />
      No,' she answered.<br />
      <br />
      In despair, I asked her whether she was enjoying her dinner.' <br />
      Young man,' she answered,' if you ate more and talked less, we would both
      enjoy our dinner !' <br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 41<br />
      Do you call that a hat?<br />
      ����Ǹ���ñ����'Do you call that a hat ?' <br />
      I said to my wife.<br />
      'You needn't be so rude about it,' my wife answered as she looked at
      herself in the mirror.<br />
      I sat down on one of those modern chairs with holes in it and waited.<br />
      We had been in the hat shop for half an hour and my wife was still in
      front of the mirror.' <br />
      We mustn't buy things we don't need,' I remarked suddenly.<br />
      I regretted saying it almost at once.<br />
      'You needn't have said that,' my wife answered.' <br />
      I need not remind you of that terrible tie you bought yesterday.' <br />
      ' I find it beautiful,' I said.<br />
      'A man can never have too many ties.'<br />
      'And a woman can't have too many hats,' she answered.<br />
      Ten minutes later we walked out of the shop together.<br />
      My wife was wearing a hat that looked like a lighthouse !<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 42<br />
      Not very musical ���Ǻܶ�����As we had had a long walk through one of the
      markets of Old Delhi, we stopped at a square to have a rest.<br />
      After a time, we noticed a snake-charmer with two large baskets at the
      other side of the square, so we went to have a look at him.<br />
      As soon as he saw us, he picked up a long pipe which was covered with
      coins and opened one of the baskets.<br />
      When he began to play a tune, we had our first glimpse of the snake.<br />
      It rose out of the basket and began to follow the movements of the
      pipe.<br />
      We were very much surprised when the snake charmer suddenly began to play
      jazz tunes and modern pop songs.<br />
      The snake, however, continued to 'dance' slowly.<br />
      It obviously could not tell the difference between Indian music and
      jazz!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 43<br />
      Over the South Pole ��Խ�ϼ�In 1929, three years after his flight over the
      North Pole, the American explorer, R.<br />
      E.<br />
      Byrd, successfully flew over the South Pole for the first time.<br />
      Though, at first, Byrd and his men were able to take a great many
      photographs of the mountains that lay below, they soon ran into serious
      trouble.<br />
      At one point, it seemed certain that their plane would crash.<br />
      It could only get over the mountains if it rose to 10,000 feet.<br />
      Byrd at once ordered his men to throw out two heavy food sacks.<br />
      The plane was then able to rise and it cleared the mountains by 400
      feet.<br />
      Byrd now knew that he would be able to reach the South Pole which was 300
      miles away, for there were no more mountains in sight.<br />
      The aircraft was able to fly over the endless white plains without
      difficulty.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 44<br />
      Through the forest ����ɭ��Mrs Anne Sterling did not think of the risk she
      was taking when she ran through a forest after two men.<br />
      They had rushed up to her while she was having a picnic at the edge of a
      forest with her children and tried to steal her handbag.<br />
      In the struggle, the strap broke and, with the bag in their possession,
      both men started running through the trees.<br />
      Mrs Sterling got so angry that she ran after them.<br />
      She was soon out of breath, but she continued to run.<br />
      When she caught up with them, she saw that they had sat down and were
      going through the contents of the bag, so she ran straight at them.<br />
      The men got such a fright that they dropped the bag and ran away.<br />
      'The strap needs mending,' said Mrs Sterling later, 'but they did not
      steal anything.<br />
      '<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 45<br />
      A clear conscience ��������The whole village soon learnt that a large sum
      of money had been lost.<br />
      Sam Benton, the local butcher, had lost his wallet while taking his
      savings to the post-office.<br />
      Sam was sure that the wallet must have been found by one of the villagers,
      but it was not returned to him.<br />
      Three months passed, and then one morning, Sam found his wallet outside
      his front door.<br />
      It had been wrapped up in newspaper and it contained half the money he had
      lost, together with a note which said: 'A thief, yes, 'but only 5o per
      cent a thief!' <br />
      Two months later, some more money was sent to Sam with another note:' Only
      25 per cent a thief now!' <br />
      In time, all Sam's money was paid back in this way.<br />
      The last note said:' I am 100 per cent honest now!<br />
      '<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 46<br />
      Expensive and uncomfortable �Ȱ���������When a plane from London arrived at
      Sydney airport, workers began to unload a number of wooden boxes which
      contained clothing.<br />
      No one could account for the fact that one of the boxes was extremely
      heavy.<br />
      It suddenly occurred to one of the workers to open up the box.<br />
      He was astonished at what he found.<br />
      A man was lying in the box on top of a pile of woollen goods.<br />
      He was so surprised at being discovered that he did not even try to run
      away.<br />
      After he was arrested, the man admitted hiding in the box before the plane
      left London.<br />
      He had had a long and uncomfortable trip, for he had been confined to the
      wooden box for over ten hours.<br />
      The man was ordered to pay &amp;345 for the cost of the trip.<br />
      The normal price of a ticket is &amp;230 !<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 47<br />
      A thirsty ghost �ȾƵĹ���A public house which was recently bought by Mr Ian
      Thompson is up for sale.<br />
      Mr Thompson is going to sell it because it is haunted.<br />
      He told me that he could not go to sleep one night because he heard a
      strange noise coming from the bar.<br />
      The next morning, he found that the doors had been blocked by chairs and
      the furniture had been moved.<br />
      Though Mr Thompson had turned the lights off before he went to bed, they
      were on in the morning.<br />
      He also said that he had found five empty whisky bottles which the ghost
      must have drunk the night before.<br />
      When I suggested that some villagers must have come in for a free drink,
      Mr Thompson shook his head.<br />
      The villagers have told him that they will not accept the inn even if he
      gives it away.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 48<br />
      Did you want to tell me something?<br />
      �������˵ʲô��Dentists always ask questions when it is impossible for you to
      answer.<br />
      My dentist had just pulled out one of my teeth and had told me to rest for
      a while.<br />
      I tried to say something, but my mouth was full of cotton-wool.<br />
      He knew I collected birds' eggs and asked me whether my collection was
      growing.<br />
      He then asked me how my brother was and whether I liked my new job in
      London.<br />
      In answer to these questions I either nodded or made strange noises.<br />
      Meanwhile, my tongue was busy searching out the hole where the tooth had
      been.<br />
      I suddenly felt very worried, but could not say anything.<br />
      When the dentist at last removed the cotton-wool from my mouth, I was able
      to tell him that he had pulled out the wrong tooth.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 49<br />
      The end of a dream ���θ���Tired of sleeping on the floor, a young man in
      Teheran saved up for years to buy a real bed.<br />
      For the first time in his life, he became the proud owner of a bed which
      had springs and a mattress.<br />
      Because the weather was very hot, he carried the bed on to the roof of his
      house.<br />
      He slept very well for the first two nights, but on the third night, a
      storm blew up.<br />
      A gust of wind swept the bed off the roof and sent it crashing into the
      courtyard below.<br />
      The young man did not wake up until the bed had struck the ground.<br />
      Although the bed was smashed to pieces, the man was miraculously
      unhurt.<br />
      When he woke up, he was still on the mattress.<br />
      Glancing at the bits of wood and metal that lay around him, the man sadly
      picked up the mattress and carried it into his house.<br />
      After he had put it on the floor, he promptly went to sleep again.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 50<br />
      Taken for a ride �˳�����I love travelling in the country, but I don't like
      losing my way.<br />
      I went on an excursion recently, but my trip took me longer than I
      expected.' <br />
      I'm going to Woodford Green,' I said to the conductor as I got on the
      bus,' but I don't know where it is.' <br />
      ' I'll tell you where to get off,' answered the conductor.<br />
      I sat in the front of the bus to get a good view of the countryside.<br />
      After some time, the bus stopped.<br />
      Looking round, I realized with a shock that I was the only passenger left
      on the bus.<br />
      ' <br />
      You'll have to get off here,' the conductor said.<br />
      'This is as far as we go.' <br />
      ' Is this Woodford Green ?' <br />
      I asked.<br />
      'Oh dear,' said the conductor suddenly.' <br />
      I forgot to put you off.' <br />
      'It doesn't matter,' I said.<br />
      'I'll get off here.' <br />
      'We are going back now,' said the conductor.<br />
      'Well, in that case, I prefer to stay on the bus,' I answered.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 51<br />
      Reward for virtue �����µĽ���My friend, Herbert, has always been fat, but
      things got so bad recently that he decided to go on a diet.<br />
      He began his diet a week ago.<br />
      First of all, he wrote out a long list of all the foods which were
      forbidden.<br />
      The list included most of the things Herbert loves: butter, potatoes,
      rice, beer, milk, chocolate, and sweets.<br />
      Yesterday I paid him a visit.<br />
      I rang the bell and was not surprised to see that Herbert was still as fat
      as ever.<br />
      He led me into his room and hurriedly hid a large parcel under his
      desk.<br />
      It was obvious that he was very embarrassed.<br />
      When I asked him what he was doing, he smiled guiltily and then put the
      parcel on the desk.<br />
      He explained that his diet was so strict that he had to reward himself
      occasionally.<br />
      Then he showed me the contents of the parcel.<br />
      It contained five large bars of chocolate and three bags of sweets!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 52<br />
      A pretty carpet Ư���ĵ�̺We have just moved into a new house and I have been
      working hard all morning.<br />
      I have been trying to get my new room in order.<br />
      This has not been easy because I own over a thousand books.<br />
      To make matters worse, the room is rather small, so I have temporarily put
      my books on the floor.<br />
      At the moment, they cover every inch of floor space and I actually have to
      walk on them to get in or out of the room.<br />
      A short while ago, my sister helped me to carry one of my old bookcases up
      the stairs.<br />
      She went into my room and got a big surprise when she saw all those books
      on the floor.<br />
      'This is the prettiest carpet I have ever seen,' she said.<br />
      She gazed at it for some time then added, 'You don't need bookcases at
      all.<br />
      You can sit here in your spare time and read the carpet!' <br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 53<br />
      Hot snake �������At last firemen have put out a big forest fire in
      California.<br />
      Since then, they have been trying to find out how the fire began.<br />
      Forest fire are often caused by broken glass or by cigarette ends which
      people carelessly throw away.<br />
      Yesterday the firemen examined the ground carefully, but were not able to
      find any broken glass.<br />
      They were also quite sure that a cigarette end did not start the fire.<br />
      This morning, however, a fireman accidentally discovered the cause.<br />
      He noticed the remains of a snake which was wound round the electric wires
      of a 16,000-volt power line.<br />
      In this way, he was able to solve the mystery.<br />
      The explanation was simple but very unusual.<br />
      A bird had snatched up the snake from the ground and then dropped it on to
      the wires.<br />
      The snake then wound itself round the wires.<br />
      When it did so, it sent sparks down to the ground and these immediately
      started a fire.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 54<br />
      Sticky fingers ճ������ָAfter breakfast, I sent the children to school and
      then I went to market.<br />
      It was still early when I returned home.<br />
      The children were at school, my husband was at work and the house was
      quiet.<br />
      So I decided to make some tarts for tea.<br />
      In a short time I was busy mixing butter and flour and my hands were soon
      covered with sticky pastry.<br />
      At exactly that moment, the telephone rang.<br />
      Nothing could have been more annoying.<br />
      I picked up the receiver between two sticky fingers and was dismayed when
      I recognized the voice of Mrs Bates.<br />
      It took me ten minutes to persuade her to ring back later.<br />
      At last I hung up the receiver.<br />
      What a mess!<br />
      There was pastry on my fingers, on the telephone, and on the
      door-knobs.<br />
      I had no sooner got back to the kitchen than the door-bell rang loud
      enough to wake the dead.<br />
      This time it was the postman and he wanted me to sign for a registered
      letter !<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 55<br />
      Not a gold mine ���ǽ��Dreams of finding lost treasure almost came true
      recently.<br />
      A new machine called 'The Revealer' has been invented and it has been used
      to detect gold which has been buried in the ground.<br />
      The machine was used in a cave near the seashore where--it is
      said--pirates used to hide gold.<br />
      The pirates would often bury gold in the cave and then fail to collect
      it.<br />
      Armed with the new machine, a search party went into the cave hoping to
      find buried treasure.<br />
      The leader of the party was examining the soil near the entrance to the
      cave when the machine showed that there was gold under the ground.<br />
      Very excited, the party dug a hole two feet deep.<br />
      They finally found a small gold coin which was almost worthless.<br />
      The party then searched the whole cave thoroughly but did not find
      anything except an empty tin trunk.<br />
      In spite of this, many people are confident that 'The Revealer' may reveal
      something of value fairly soon.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 56<br />
      Faster than sound!<br />
      ���������죡Once a year a race is held for old cars.<br />
      A lot of cars entered for this race last year and there was a great deal
      of excitement just before it began.<br />
      One of the most handsome cars was a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost.<br />
      The most unusual car was a Benz which had only three wheels.<br />
      Built in 1885, it was the oldest car taking part.<br />
      After a great many loud explosions, the race began.<br />
      Many of the cars broke down on the course and some drivers spent more time
      under their cars than in them !<br />
      A few cars, however, completed the race.<br />
      The winning car reached a speed of forty miles an hour--much faster than
      any of its rivals.<br />
      It sped downhill at the end of the race and its driver had a lot of
      trouble trying to stop it.<br />
      The race gave everyone a great deal of pleasure.<br />
      It was very different from modern car races but no less exciting.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 57<br />
      Can I help you, madam?<br />
      ��Ҫ��ʲô�����ˣ�A woman in blue jeans stood at the window of an expensive
      shop.<br />
      Though she hesitated for a moment, she finally went in and asked to see a
      dress that was in the window.<br />
      The assistant who served her did not like the way she was dressed.<br />
      Glancing at her scornfully, he told her that the dress was sold.<br />
      The woman walked out of the shop angrily and decided to punish the
      assistant next day.<br />
      She returned to the shop the following morning dressed in a fur coat, with
      a handbag in one hand and a long umbrella in the other.<br />
      After seeking out the rude assistant she asked for the same dress.<br />
      Not realizing who she was, the assistant was eager to serve her this time
      with great difficulty, he climbed into the shop window to get the
      dress.<br />
      As soon as she saw it, the woman said she did not like it.<br />
      She enjoyed herself making the assistant bring almost everything in the
      window before finally buying the dress she had first asked for.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 58<br />
      A blessing in disguise?<br />
      ������ø���The tiny village of Frinley is said to possess a 'cursed
      tree'.<br />
      Because the tree was mentioned in a newspaper, the number of visitors to
      Frinley has now increased.<br />
      The tree was planted near a church fifty years ago, but it is only in
      recent years that it has gained an evil reputation.<br />
      It is said that if anyone touches the tree, he will have bad luck; if he
      picks a leaf, he will die.<br />
      Many villagers believe that the tree has already claimed a number of
      victims.<br />
      The vicar has been asked to have the tree cut down, but so far he has
      refused.<br />
      He has pointed out that the tree is a useful source of income as tourists
      have been coming from all parts of the country to see it.<br />
      In spite of all that has been said, the tourists-have been picking leaves
      and cutting their names on the tree-trunk.<br />
      So far, not one of them has been struck down by sudden death!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 59<br />
      In or out �� �������ǳ�ȥ��Our dog, Rex, used to sit outside our front gate
      and bark.<br />
      Every time he wanted to come into the garden he would bark until someone
      opened the gate.<br />
      As the neighbours complained of the noise, my husband spent weeks training
      him to press his paw on the latch to let himself in.<br />
      Rex soon became an expert at opening the gate.<br />
      However, when I was going out shopping last week, I noticed him in the
      garden near the gate.<br />
      This time he was barking so that someone would let him out !<br />
      Since then, he has developed another bad habit.<br />
      As soon as he opens the gate from the outside, he comes into the garden
      and waits until the gate shuts.<br />
      Then he sits and barks until someone lets him out.<br />
      After this he immediately lets himself in and begins barking again.<br />
      Yesterday my husband removed the gate and Rex got so annoyed we have not
      seen him since.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 60<br />
      The future ����δ��At a village fair, I decided to visit a fortune-teller
      called Madam Bellinsky.<br />
      I went into her tent and she told me to sit down.<br />
      After I had given her some money, she looked into a crystal ball and said:
      'A relation of yours is coming to see you.<br />
      She will be arriving this evening and intends to stay for a few days.<br />
      The moment you leave this tent, you will get a big surprise.<br />
      A woman you know well will rush towards you.<br />
      She will speak to you and then she will lead you away from this place.<br />
      That is all.' <br />
      As soon as I went outside, I forgot all about Madam Bellinsky because my
      wife hurried towards me.<br />
      'Where have you been hiding ?' <br />
      she asked impatiently.<br />
      'Your sister will be here in less than an hour and we must be at the
      station to meet her.<br />
      We are late already.' <br />
      As she walked away, I followed her out of the fair.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 61<br />
      Trouble with the Hubble ������Զ��������In future, astronauts will be
      required to descend from a spaceship while it is still in space and to
      return to it.<br />
      The ability to do this will be necessary in future flights to distant
      planets.<br />
      Scientists are now trying to discover if this is possible.<br />
      The spaceship Astra which left the earth a short time ago, will be
      travelling three hundred miles into space.<br />
      At a certain point, the Astra will stop for a short time and an astronaut
      will attempt to leave the stationary spaceship and then return to it.<br />
      We shall not know whether the experiment has been successful until we have
      received a radio message.<br />
      The first message is expected to arrive at 7 o'clock this evening.<br />
      By that time, the Astra will have been flying through space for seventeen
      hours and will have circled the earth a great many times.<br />
      When the first radio messages have been received, the results of the trip
      will be announced immediately.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 62<br />
      After the fire ���֮��Firemen had been fighting the forest fire for nearly
      three weeks before they could get it under control.<br />
      A short time before, great trees had covered the countryside for miles
      around.<br />
      Now, smoke still rose up from the warm ground over the desolate hills.<br />
      Winter was coming on and the hills threatened the surrounding villages
      with destruction, for heavy rain would not only wash away the soil but
      would cause serious floods as well.<br />
      When the fire had at last been put out, the forest authorities ordered
      several tons of a special type of grass-seed which would grow quickly.<br />
      The seed was sprayed over the ground in huge quantities by aeroplanes.<br />
      The planes had been planting seed for nearly a month when it began to
      rain.<br />
      By then, however, in many places the grass had already taken root.<br />
      In place of the great trees which had been growing there for centuries,
      patches of green had begun to appear in the blackened soil.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 63<br />
      She was not amused ���������ú�ЦGeoffrey Hampden has a large circle of
      friends and is very popular at parties.<br />
      Everybody admires him for his fine sense of humor--everybody, that is,
      except his six-year-old daughter, Jenny.<br />
      Recently, one of Geoffrey's closest friends asked him to make a speech at
      a wedding reception.<br />
      This is the sort of thing that Geoffrey loves.<br />
      He prepared the speech carefully and went to the wedding with Jenny.<br />
      He had included a large number of funny stories in the speech and, of
      course, it was a great success.<br />
      As soon as he had finished, Jenny told him she wanted to go home.<br />
      Geoffrey was a little disappointed by this but he did as his daughter
      asked.<br />
      On the way home, he asked Jenny if she had enjoyed the speech.<br />
      To his surprise, she said she hadn't.<br />
      Geoffrey asked her why this was so and she told him that she did not like
      to see so many people laughing at him!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 64<br />
      The Channel Tunnel ��Ͽ����In l858, a French engineer, Aime Thome de
      Gamond, arrived in England with a plan for a twenty-one mile tunnel across
      the English Channel.<br />
      He said that it would be possible to build a platform in the centre of the
      Channel.<br />
      This platform would serve as a port and a railway station.<br />
      The tunnel would be well-ventilated if tall chimneys were built above
      sea-level.<br />
      In 1860, a better plan was put forward by an Englishman, William Low.<br />
      He suggested that a double railway tunnel should be built.<br />
      This would solve the problem of ventilation, for if a train entered this
      tunnel, it would draw in fresh air behind it.<br />
      Forty-two years later a tunnel was actually begun.<br />
      If, at the time, the British had not feared invasion, it would have been
      completed.<br />
      Recently, there has again been great interest in the idea of a Channel
      Tunnel.<br />
      If it is built, it will connect Britain to Europe for the first time in
      history.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 65<br />
      Jumbo versus the police С��Ծ���Last Christmas, the circus owner, Jimmy
      Gates, decided to take some presents to a children's hospital.<br />
      Dressed up as Father Christmas and accompanied by a 'guard of honour' of
      six pretty girls, he set off down the main street of the city riding a
      baby elephant called Jumbo.<br />
      He, should have known that the police would never allow this sort of
      thing.<br />
      A policeman approached Jimmy and told him he ought to have gone along a
      side-street as Jumbo was holding up the traffic.<br />
      Though Jimmy agreed to go at once, Jumbo refused to move.<br />
      Fifteen policemen had to push very hard to get him off the main street.<br />
      The police had a difficult time, but they were most amused.<br />
      'Jumbo must weigh a few tons,' said a policeman afterwards, 'so it was
      fortunate that we didn't have to carry him.<br />
      Of course, we should arrest him, but as he has a good record, we shall let
      him off this time.<br />
      '<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 66<br />
      Sweet as honey!<br />
      ����һ����The Hatheld Puffin is a modern aero-plane, but its designer, Mr
      John Wimpenny, is finding it difficult to get it off the ground.<br />
      The reason for this is that this plane is also a bicycle.<br />
      Its pilot has to pedal hard to get it into the air.<br />
      After Mr Wimpenny had the plane built, it was tested thoroughly.<br />
      In 1961, it was the first man-powered aircraft to fly half a mile.<br />
      While being flown by a champion amateur cyclist in 1963, the plane crashed
      on an airfield.<br />
      Since then, Mr Wimpenny has had it rebuilt.<br />
      He has had the length of the wings increased so that they now measure 93
      feet--almost as long as those of a Dakota.<br />
      Many people have shown interest in this new and unusual sport.<br />
      But though air cyclists may learn how to fly over short distances, and
      may, eventually, even get across the English Channel, it is doubtful
      whether they will ever cycle across the Atlantic.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 67<br />
      Volcanoes ��ɽHaroun Tazieff the Polish scientist, has spent his life-time
      studying active volcanoes and deep caves in all parts of the world.<br />
      In 1948, he went to lake Kivu in the Congo to observe a new volcano which
      he later named Kituro.<br />
      Tazieff was able to set up his camp very close to the volcano while it was
      erupting violently.<br />
      Though he managed to take a number of brilliant photographs, he could not
      stay near the volcano for very long.<br />
      He noticed that a river of liquid rock was coming towards him.<br />
      It threatened to surround him completely, but Tazieff managed to escape
      just in time.<br />
      He waited until the volcano became quiet and he was able to return two
      days later.<br />
      This time, he managed to climb into the mouth of Kituro so that he could
      take photographs and measure temperatures.<br />
      Tazieff has often risked his life in this way.<br />
      He has been able to tell us more about active volcanoes than any man
      alive.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 68<br />
      Persistent ��������I crossed the street to avoid meeting him, but he saw
      me and came running towards me.<br />
      It was no use pretending that I had not seen him, so I waved to him.<br />
      I never enjoy meeting Bert Dykes.<br />
      He never has anything to do.<br />
      No matter how busy you are, he always insists on coming with you.<br />
      I had to think of a way of preventing him from following me around all
      morning.<br />
      'Hullo, Bert,' I said.<br />
      'Fancy meeting you here !'<br />
      'Hullo, Elizabeth,' Bert answered.' <br />
      I was just wondering how to spend the morning--until I saw you.<br />
      You're not busy doing anything, are you ?'<br />
      ' No, not at all,' I answered.' <br />
      I'm going to.<br />
      .<br />
      .'<br />
      'Would you mind my coming with you ?' <br />
      he asked, before I had finished speaking.' <br />
      Not at all,' I lied, 'but I'm going to the dentist.'<br />
      ' Then I'll come with you,' he answered.' <br />
      There's always plenty to read in the 'waiting room !<br />
      '<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 69 <br />
      But not murder!<br />
      ����ıɱ��I was being tested for a driving licence for the third time.<br />
      I had been asked to drive in heavy traffic and had done so
      successfully.<br />
      After having been instructed to drive out of town, I began to acquire
      confidence.<br />
      Sure that I had passed, I was almost beginning to enjoy my test.<br />
      The examiner must have been pleased with my performance, for he smiled and
      said, 'Just one more thing, Mr Eames.<br />
      Let us suppose that a child suddenly crosses the road in front of you.<br />
      As soon as I tap on the window, I want the car to be stopped immediately.'
      <br />
      I continued driving and after some time, the examiner tapped loudly.<br />
      Though the sound could be heard clearly, it took me a long time to
      react.<br />
      I suddenly pressed the brake pedal hard and we were both thrown
      forward.<br />
      The examiner looked at me sadly.<br />
      'Mr Eames,' he said, in a mournful voice,' you have just killed that child
      !' <br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 70<br />
      Red for danger Σ�յĺ�ɫDuring a bullfight, a drunk suddenly wandered into
      the middle of the ring.<br />
      The crowd began to shout, but the drunk was unaware of the danger.<br />
      The bull was busy with the matador at the time, but it suddenly caught
      sight of the drunk who was shouting rude remarks and waving a red cap.<br />
      Apparently sensitive to criticism, the bull forgot all about the matador
      and charged at the drunk.<br />
      The crowd suddenly grew quiet.<br />
      The drunk, however, seemed quite sure of himself.<br />
      When the bull got close to him, he clumsily stepped aside to let it
      pass.<br />
      The crowd broke into cheers and the drunk bowed.<br />
      By this time, however, three men had come into the ring and they quickly
      dragged the drunk to safety.<br />
      Even the bull seemed to feel sorry for him, for it looked on
      sympathetically until the drunk was out of the way before once more
      turning its attention to the matador.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 71<br />
      A famous clock һ�������Ĵ���When you visit London, one of the first things
      you will see is Big Ben, the famous clock which can be heard all over the
      world on the B.<br />
      B.C.<br />
      If the Houses of Parliament had hot been burned down in 1834, the great
      clock would never have been erected.<br />
      Big Ben takes its name from Sir Benjamin Hall who was responsible for the
      making of the clock when the new Houses of Parliament were being built.<br />
      It is not only of immense size, but is extremely accurate as well.<br />
      Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a
      day.<br />
      On the B.<br />
      B.C.<br />
      you can hear the clock when it is actually striking because microphones
      are connected to the clock tower.<br />
      Big Ben has rarely gone wrong.<br />
      Once, however, it failed to give the correct time.<br />
      A painter who had been working on the tower hung a pot of paint on one of
      the hands and slowed it down !<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 72<br />
      A car called Bluebird "��������The great racing driver, Sir Malcolm
      Campbell, was the first man to drive at over 300 miles per hour.<br />
      He set up a new world record in September 1935 at Bonneville Salt Flats,
      Utah.<br />
      Bluebird, the car he was driving, had been specially built for him.<br />
      It was over 30 feet in length and had a 2500 horse-power engine.<br />
      Although Campbell reached a speed of over 304 miles per hour, he had great
      difficulty in controlling the car because a tyre burst during the first
      run.<br />
      After his attempt, Campbell was disappointed to learn that his average
      speed had been 299 miles per hour.<br />
      However, a few days later, he was told that a mistake had been made.<br />
      His average speed had been 301 miles per hour.<br />
      Since that time, racing drivers have reached speeds of over 400 miles an
      hour.<br />
      Following his father's footsteps many years later, Sir Malcolm's son,
      Donald, also set up a world record.<br />
      Like his father, he was driving a car called Bluebird.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 73<br />
      The record-holder ��¼������Little boys who play truant from school are
      unimaginative.<br />
      A quiet day's fishing, or eight hours in a cinema seeing the same film
      over and over again, is usually as far as they get.<br />
      They have all been put to shame by a boy who, while playing truant,
      travelled 1600 miles.<br />
      He hitch- hiked to Dover and, towards evening, went into a boat to find
      somewhere to sleep.<br />
      When he woke up next morning, he discovered that the boat had, in the
      meantime, travelled to Calais.<br />
      No one noticed the boy as he crept off.<br />
      From there, he hitch-hiked to Paris in a lorry.<br />
      The driver gave him a few biscuits and a cup of coffee and left him just
      outside the city.<br />
      The next car the boy stopped did not take him into the centre of Paris as
      he hoped it would, but to Perpignan on the French-Spanish border.<br />
      There he was picked up by a policeman and sent back to England by the
      local authorities.<br />
      He has surely set up a record for the thousands of boys who dream of
      evading school.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 74 <br />
      Out of the limelight ��̨֮��An ancient bus stopped by a dry river bed and a
      party of famous actors and actresses got off.<br />
      Dressed in dark glasses and old clothes, they had taken special
      precautions so that no one should recognize them.<br />
      But as they soon discovered, disguises can sometimes be too perfect.<br />
      <br />
      'This is a wonderful place for a picnic,' said Gloria Gleam.' <br />
      It couldn't be better, Gloria,' Brinksley Meers agreed.<br />
      'No newspaper men, no film fans!<br />
      Why don't we come more often ?' <br />
      Meanwhile, two other actors, Rockwall Slinger and Merlin Greeves, had
      carried two large food baskets to a shady spot under some trees.<br />
      When they had all made themselves comfortable, a stranger appeared.<br />
      He looked very angry.<br />
      'Now you gut out of here, all of you!' <br />
      he shouted: ' I'm sheriff here.<br />
      Do you see that notice ?<br />
      It says" No Camping"-in case you can't read !' <br />
      ' Look, sheriff, 'said Rockwall,' don't be too hard on us.<br />
      I'm Rockwall Slinger and this is Merlin Greeves.' <br />
      ' Oh, is it ?' <br />
      said the sheriff with a sneer.<br />
      'Well, I'm Brinksley Meers, and my other name is Gloria Gleam.<br />
      Now you get out of here fast !<br />
      '<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 75<br />
      SOS �����ź�When a light passenger plane flew off course some time ago, it
      crashed in the mountains and its pilot was killed.<br />
      The only passengers, a young woman and her two baby daughters, were
      unhurt.<br />
      It was the middle of winter.<br />
      Snow lay thick on the ground.<br />
      The woman knew that the nearest village was miles away.<br />
      When it grew dark.<br />
      she turned a suitcase into a bed and put the children inside it, covering
      them with all the clothes she could find.<br />
      During the night, it got terribly cold.<br />
      The woman kept as near as she could to the children and even tried to get
      into the case herself, but it was too small.<br />
      Early ,next morning she heard planes passing overhead and wondered how she
      could send a signal.<br />
      Then she had an idea.<br />
      She stamped out the letters' SOS' in the snow.<br />
      Fortunately, a pilot saw the signal and sent a message by radio to the
      nearest town.<br />
      It was not long before a helicopter arrived on the scene to rescue the
      survivors of the plane crash.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 76<br />
      April Fools Day ���˽�'To end our special news bulletin,' said the voice of
      the television announcer,' we are taking you to the macaroni fields of
      Calabria.<br />
      Macaroni has been grown in this area for over six hundred years.<br />
      Two of the leading growers, Giuseppe Moldova and Ricardo Brabante, tell me
      that they have been expecting a splendid crop this year and harvesting has
      begun earlier than usual.<br />
      Here you can see two workers who, between them, have just finished cutting
      three cart-loads of golden brownmacaroni stalks.<br />
      The whole village has been working day and night gathering and threshing
      this year's crop before the September rains.<br />
      On the right, you can see Mrs Brabante herself.<br />
      She has been helping her husband for thirty years now.<br />
      Mrs Brabante is talking to the manager of the local factory where the crop
      is processed.<br />
      This last scene shows you what will happen at the end of the harvest: the
      famous Calabrian macaroni-eating competition !<br />
      Signor Fratelli, the present champion, has won it every year since
      1961.<br />
      And that ends our special bulletin for today, Thursday, April 1st.<br />
      We are now returning you to the studio.<br />
      '<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 77<br />
      A successful operation һ���ɹ�������The mummy of an Egyptian woman who died
      in 800 B.C.<br />
      has just had an operation.<br />
      The mummy is that of Shepenmut who was once a singer in the Temple of
      Thebes.<br />
      As there were strange marks on the X-ray plates taken of the mummy,
      doctors have been trying to find out whether the woman died of a rare
      disease.<br />
      The only way to do this was to operate.<br />
      The operation, which lasted for over four hours, proved to be very
      difficult because of the hard resin which covered the skin.<br />
      The doctors removed a section of the mummy and sent it to a laboratory.<br />
      They also found something which the X-ray of the god Duamutef.<br />
      This god which has the head of a cow was normally placedinside a mummy.<br />
      The doctors have not yet decided how the woman died.<br />
      They feared that the mummy would fall to pieces when they cut it open, but
      fortunately this has not happened.<br />
      The mummy successfully survived the operation.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 78<br />
      The last one?<br />
      ���һ֦��After reading an article entitled 'Cigarette Smoking and Your
      Health' I lit a cigarette to calm my nerves.<br />
      I smoked with concentration and pleasure as I was sure that this would be
      my last cigarette.<br />
      For a whole week I did not smoke at all and during this time, my wife
      suffered terribly.<br />
      I had all the usual symptoms of someone giving up smoking: a bad temper
      and an enormous appetite.<br />
      My friends kept on offering me cigarettes and cigars.<br />
      They made no effort to hide their amusement whenever I produced a packet
      of sweets from my pocket.<br />
      After seven days of this I went to a party.<br />
      Everybody around me was smoking and I felt extremely uncomfortable.<br />
      When my old friend Brian urged me to accept a cigarette, it was more than
      I could bear.<br />
      I took one guiltily, lit it and smoked with satisfaction.<br />
      My wife was delighted that things had returned to normal once more.<br />
      Anyway, as Brian pointed out, it is the easiest thing in the world to give
      up smoking.<br />
      He himself has done it lots of times!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 79<br />
      By air �˷ɻ�I used to travel by air a great deal when I was a boy.<br />
      My parents, used to live in South America and I used to fly there from
      Europe in the holidays.<br />
      An airhostess would take charge of me and I never had an unpleasant
      experience.<br />
      I am used to travelling by air and only on one occasion have I ever felt
      frightened.<br />
      After taking off, we were flying low over the city and slowly gaining
      height, when the plane suddenly turned round and flew back to the
      airport.<br />
      While we were waiting to land, an air-hostess told us to keep calm and to
      get off the plane quietly as soon as it had touched down.<br />
      Everybody on board was worried and we were curious to find out what had
      happened.<br />
      Later we learnt that there was a very important person on board.<br />
      The police had been told that a bomb had been planted on the plane.<br />
      After we had landed, the plane was searched thoroughly.<br />
      Fortunately, nothing was found and five hours later we were able to take
      off again.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 80<br />
      The Crystal Palace ˮ����Perhaps the most extraordinary building of the
      nineteenth century was the Crystal Palace, which was built in Hyde Park
      for the Great Exhibition of 1851.<br />
      The Crystal Palace was different from all other buildings in the world,
      for it was made of iron and glass.<br />
      It was one of the biggest buildings of all time and a lot of people from
      many countries came to see it.<br />
      A great many goods were sent to the exhibition from various parts of the
      world.<br />
      There was also a great deal of machinery on display.<br />
      The most wonderful piece of machinery on show was Nasmyth's steam
      hammer.<br />
      Though in those days, travelling was not as easy as it is today, steam
      boats carried thousands of visitors across the Channel from Europe.<br />
      On arriving in England, they were taken to the Crystal Palace by train.<br />
      There were six million visitors in all, and the profits from the
      exhibition were used to build museums and colleges.<br />
      Later, the Crystal Palace was moved to South London.<br />
      It remained one of the most famous buildings in the world until it was
      burnt down in 1936.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 81<br />
      Escape ����When he had killed the guard, the prisoner of war quickly
      dragged him into the bushes.<br />
      Working rapidly in the darkness, he soon changed into the dead man's
      clothes.<br />
      Now, dressed in a blue uniform and with a rifle over his shoulder, the
      prisoner marched boldly up and down in front of the camp.<br />
      He could hear shouting in the camp itself.<br />
      Lights were blazing and men were running here and there: they had just
      discovered that a prisoner had escaped.<br />
      At that moment, a large black car with four officers inside it, stopped at
      the camp gates.<br />
      The officers got out and the prisoner stood to attention and saluted as
      they passed.<br />
      When they had gone, the driver of the car came towards him.<br />
      The man obviously wanted to talk.<br />
      He was rather elderly with grey hair and clear blue eyes.<br />
      The prisoner felt sorry for him, but there was nothing else he could
      do.<br />
      As the man came near, the prisoner knocked him to the ground with a sharp
      blow.<br />
      Then, jumping into the car, he drove off as quickly as he could.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 82<br />
      Monster or fish?<br />
      ���������㣿Fishermen and sailors sometimes claim to have seen monsters in
      the sea.<br />
      Though people have often laughed at stories told by seamen, it is now
      known that many of these 'monsters' which have at times been sighted are
      simply strange fish.<br />
      Occasionally, unusual creatures are washed to the shore, but they are
      rarely caught out at sea.<br />
      Some time ago, however, a peculiar fish was caught near Madagascar.<br />
      A small fishing-boat was carried miles out to sea by the powerful fish as
      it pulled on the line.<br />
      Realizing that this was no ordinary fish, the fisherman made every effort
      not to damage it in any way.<br />
      When it was eventually brought to shore, it was found to be over thirteen
      feet long.<br />
      It had a head like a horse, big blue eyes, shining silver skin, and a
      bright red tail, The fish, which has since been sent to a museum where it
      is being examined by a scientist, is called an oarfish.<br />
      Such creatures have rarely been seen alive by man as they live at a depth
      of six hundred feet.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 83<br />
      After the elections ��ѡ֮��The former Prime Minister, Mr Wentworth Lane,
      was defeated in the recent elections.<br />
      He is now retiring from political life and has gone abroad.<br />
      My friend, Crawley, has always been a fanatical opponent of Mr Lane's
      Radical Progressive Party.<br />
      After the elections, Crawley went to the former Prime Minister's house.<br />
      When he asked if Mr Lane lived there, the policeman on duty told him that
      since his defeat, the ex-Prime Minister had gone abroad.<br />
      On the following day, Crawley went to the house again.<br />
      The same policeman was just walking slowly past the entrance, when Crawley
      asked the same question.<br />
      Though a little suspicious this time, the policeman gave him the same
      answer.<br />
      The day after, Crawley went to the house once more and asked exactly the
      same question.<br />
      This time, the policeman lost his temper.' <br />
      I told you yesterday and the day before yesterday,' he shouted, 'Mr Lane
      was defeated in the elections.<br />
      He has retired from political life and gone to live abroad !' <br />
      ' I know,' answered Crawley,' but I love to hear you say it !' <br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 84<br />
      On strike �չ�Busmen have decided to go on strike next week.<br />
      The strike is due to begin on Tuesday.<br />
      No one knows how long it will last.<br />
      The busmen have stated that the strike will continue until general
      agreement is reached about pay and working conditions.<br />
      Most people believe that the strike will last for at least a week.<br />
      Many owners of private cars are going to offer 'free rides' to people on
      their way to work.<br />
      This will relieve pressure on the trains to some extent.<br />
      Meanwhile, a number of university students have volunteered to drive buses
      while the strike lasts.<br />
      All the young men are expert drivers, but before they drive any of the
      buses, they will have to pass a special test.<br />
      The students are going to take the test in two days' time.<br />
      Even so, people are going to find it difficult to get to work.<br />
      But so far, the public has expressed its gratitude to the students in
      letters to the Press.<br />
      Only one or two people have objected that the students will drive too
      fast!<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 85<br />
      Never too old to learn ���ѧ����I have just received a letter from my old
      school informing me that my former head- master, Mr Regmald Page, will be
      retiring next week.<br />
      Pupils of the school, old and new, will be sending him a present to mark
      the occasion.<br />
      All those who have contributed towards the gift will sign their names in a
      large album which will be sent to the headmaster's home.<br />
      We shall all remember Mr Page for his patience and understanding and for
      the kindly encouragement he gave us when we went so unwillingly to
      school.<br />
      A great many former pupils will be attending a farewell dinner in his
      honour next Thursday.<br />
      It is a curious coincidence that the day before his retirement, Mr Page
      will have been teaching for a total of forty years.<br />
      After he has retired, he will devote himself to gardening.<br />
      For him, this will be an entirely new hobby.<br />
      But this does not matter, for, as he has often remarked, one is never too
      old to learn.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 86<br />
      Out of control ʧ��As the man tried to swing the speed-boat round, the
      steering-wheel came away in his hands.<br />
      He waved desperately to his companion, who had been water-skiing for the
      last fifteen minutes.<br />
      Both men had hardly had time to realize what was happening when they were
      thrown violent1y into the sea.<br />
      The speed-boat had struck a buoy, but it continued to move very quickly
      across the water.<br />
      Both men had just begun to swim towards the shore.<br />
      when they noticed with dismay that the speed-boat was moving in a
      circle.<br />
      It now came straight towards them at tremendous speed.<br />
      In less than a minute, it roared past them only a few feet away.<br />
      After it had passed, they swam on as quickly as they could because they
      knew that the boat would soon return.<br />
      They had just had enough time to swim out of danger when the boat again
      completed a circle.<br />
      On this occasion, however, it had slowed down considerably.<br />
      The petrol had nearly all been used up.<br />
      Before long, the noise dropped completely and the boat began to drift
      gently across the water.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 87<br />
      A perfect alibi ���õĲ��ڷ����ֳ���֤��'At the time the murder was committed,
      I was travelling on the 8.<br />
      0 o'clock train to London,' said the man.<br />
      'Do you always catch such an early train ?' <br />
      asked the inspector.<br />
      'Of course I do,' answered the man.' <br />
      I must be at work at 10.<br />
      0 o'clock.<br />
      My employer will confirm that I was there on time.'<br />
      ' Would a later train get you to work on time ?' <br />
      asked the inspector.' <br />
      I suppose it would, but I never catch a later train.'<br />
      'At what time did you arrive at the station ?'<br />
      'At ten to eight.<br />
      I bought a paper and waited for the train.'<br />
      'And you didn't notice anything unusual ?'<br />
      'Of course not.'<br />
      'I suggest,' said the inspector, 'that you are not telling the truth.<br />
      I suggest that you did not catch the 8.<br />
      0 o'clock train, but that you caught the 8.<br />
      25 which would still get you to work on time.<br />
      You see, on the morning of the murder, the 8.<br />
      0 o'clock train did not run at all.<br />
      It broke down at Ferngreen station and was taken off the line.<br />
      '<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 88<br />
      Trapped in a mine ���ڿ���Six men have been trapped in a mine for seventeen
      hours.<br />
      If they are not brought to the surface soon they may lose their lives.<br />
      However, rescue operations are proving difficult.<br />
      If explosives are used, vibrations will cause the roof of the mine to
      collapse.<br />
      Rescue workers are therefore drilling a hole on the north side of the
      mine.<br />
      They intend to bring the men up in a special capsule.<br />
      If there had not been a hard layer of rock beneath the soil, they would
      have completed the job in a few hours.<br />
      As it is, they have been drilling for sixteen hours and they still have a
      long way to go.<br />
      Meanwhile, a microphone, which was lowered into the mine two hours ago,
      has enabled the men to keep in touch with the closest relatives.<br />
      Though they are running out of food and drink, the men are cheerful and
      confident that they will get out soon.<br />
      They have been told that rescue operations are progressing smoothly.<br />
      If they knew how difficult it was to drill through the hard rock, they
      would lose heart.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 89<br />
      A slip of the tongue ����People will do anything to see a free show--even
      if it is a bad one.<br />
      When the news got round that a variety show would be presented at our
      local cinema by the P.<br />
      and U.<br />
      Bird Seed Company, we all rushed to see it.<br />
      We had to queue for hours to get in and there must have been several
      hundred people present just be- fore the show began.<br />
      Unfortunately, the show was one of the dullest we have ever seen.<br />
      Those who failed to get in need not have felt disappointed as many of the
      artistes who should have appeared did not come.<br />
      The only funny things we heard that evening came from the advertiser at
      the beginning of the programme.<br />
      He was obviously very nervous and for some minutes stood awkwardly before
      the microphone.<br />
      As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone burst out laughing.<br />
      We all know what the poor man should have said, but what he actually said
      was: 'This is the Poo and Ee Seed Bird Company.<br />
      Good ladies, evening and gentlemen !<br />
      '<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 90 <br />
      Whats for supper �� ���ͳ�ʲô��Though Brazil is one of the richest countries
      in the world, much of it has not yet been developed.<br />
      It was mainly for this reason that the Brazilian government decided to
      have a new city built 600 miles north-west of Rio de Janeiro.<br />
      Designed by the great architect Lucio Costa, the new city, Brasilia,
      replaced Rio de Janeiro as the capital of Brazif in 1960.<br />
      Brasilia has been carefully planned for modern living.<br />
      Its wide roads, which can take fourteen lanes of traffic, have been
      keptaway from living areas.<br />
      Children do not have to cross busy streets to go to school.<br />
      Housewives can visit-shopping centres on foot, for in these specially
      designed living areas, cars are unnecessary.<br />
      At first, the government had great difficulty in persuading people to
      leave Rio and to settle in Brasilia.<br />
      Since 1960, however, the population has been growing all the time.<br />
      Brasilia has quickly established itself as the capital of the country.<br />
      The idea to have the capital moved so far inland will have a great effect
      on the future of Brazil.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 91<br />
      Three men in a basket ����ͬ��A pilot noticed a balloon which seemed to be
      making for a Royal Air Force Station nearby.<br />
      He informed the station at once, but no one there was able to explain the
      mystery.<br />
      The officer in the control tower was very angry when he heard the news,
      because balloons can be a great danger to aircraft.<br />
      He said that someone might by spying on the station and the pilot was
      ordered to keep track of the strange object.<br />
      The pilot managed to circle the balloon for some time.<br />
      He could make out three men in a basket under it and one of them was
      holding field-glasses.<br />
      When the balloon was over the station, the pilot saw one of the men taking
      photographs.<br />
      Soon afterwards, the balloon began to descend and it landed near an
      airfield.<br />
      The police were called in, but they could not arrest anyone, for the
      basket contained two Members of Parliament and the Commanding Officer of
      the station!<br />
      As the Commanding Officer explained later, one half of the station did not
      know what the other half was doing !<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 92 <br />
      Asking for trouble �����鷳It must have been about two in the morning when
      I returned home.<br />
      I tried to wake up my wife by ringing the door-bell, but she was fast
      asleep, so I got a ladder from the shed in the garden, put it against the
      wall, and began climbing towards the bedroom window.<br />
      I was almost there when a sarcastic voice below said,' I don't think the
      windows need cleaning at this time of the night.<br />
      'I looked down and nearly fell off the ladder when I saw a policeman.<br />
      I immediately regretted answering in the way I did, but I said, 'I enjoy
      cleaning windows at night.'<br />
      'So do I,' answered the policeman in the same tone.<br />
      'Excuse my interrupting you.<br />
      I hate to interrupt a man when he's busy working, but would you mind
      coming with me to the station ?' <br />
      'Well, I'd prefer to stay here,' I said.<br />
      'You see, I've forgotten my key.'<br />
      'Your what ?' <br />
      he called.<br />
      'My key,' I shouted.' <br />
      Fortunately, the shouting woke up my wife who opened the window just as
      the policeman had started to climb towards me.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 93 <br />
      A noble gift ��ߵ�����One of the most famous monuments in the world, the
      Statue of Liberty, was presented to the United States of America in the
      nineteenth century by the people of France.<br />
      The great statue, which was designed by the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi,
      took ten years to complete.<br />
      The actual figure was made of copper supported by a metal framework which
      had been especially constructed by Eiffel.<br />
      Before it could be transported to the United States, a site had to be
      found for it and a pedestal had to be built.<br />
      The site chosen was an island at the entrance of New York Harbour.<br />
      By 1884, a statue which was 151 feet tall, had been erected in Paris.<br />
      The following year, it was taken to pieces and sent to America.<br />
      By the end of October 1886, the statue had been put together again and it
      was officially presented to the American people by Bartholdi.<br />
      Ever since then, the great monument has been a symbol of liberty for the
      millions of people who have passed through New York Harbour to make their
      homes in America.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 94 <br />
      Future champions δ���Ĺھ�Experiments have proved that children can be
      instructed in swimming at a very early age.<br />
      At a special swimming pool in Los Angeles, children become expert at
      holding their breath under water even before they can walk.<br />
      Babies of two months old do not appear to be reluctant to enter the water,
      It is not long before they are so accustomed to swimming that they can
      pick up weights from the floor of the pool.<br />
      A game that is very popular with these young swimmers is the underwater
      tricycle race.<br />
      Tricycles are lined up on the floor of the pool seven feet under water.<br />
      The children compete against each other to reach the other end of the
      pool.<br />
      Many pedal their tricycles, but most of them prefer to push or drag
      them.<br />
      Some children can cover the whole length of the pool without coming up for
      breath even once.<br />
      Whether they will ever become future Olympic champions, only time will
      tell.<br />
      Meanwhile, they should encourage those among us who cannot swim five yards
      before they are gasping for air.<br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 95<br />
      A fantasy �����鹹When the Ambassador of Escalopia returned home for lunch,
      his wife got a shock.<br />
      He looked pale and his clothes were in a frightful state.<br />
      'What has happened ?' <br />
      she asked.<br />
      'How did your clothes get into such a mess ?' <br />
      'A fire-extinguisher, my dear,' answered the Ambassador drily.<br />
      'University students set the Embassy on fire this morning.'<br />
      'Good heavens!' <br />
      exclaimed his wife.<br />
      'And where were you at the time ?'<br />
      'I was in my office as usual,' answered the Ambassador.<br />
      'The fire broke out in the basement.<br />
      I went down immediately.<br />
      of course, and that fool, Horst, aimed a fire-extinguisher at me.<br />
      He thought I was on fire.<br />
      I must definitely get that fellow posted.' <br />
      The Ambassador's wife went on asking questions, when she suddenly noticed
      a big hole in her husband's hat.<br />
      'And how can you explain that ?' <br />
      she asked.<br />
      'Oh, that,' said the Ambassador.<br />
      'Someone fired a shot through my office window.<br />
      Accurate, don't you think ?<br />
      Fortunately, I wasn't wearing it at the time.<br />
      If I had been, I would not have been able to get home for lunch.' <br />
      <br />
      Book II Lesson 96<br />
      The dead return ���鷵��A Festival for the Dead is held once a year in
      Japan.<br />
      This festival is a cheerful occasion, for on this day, the dead are said
      to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living.<br />
      As they are expected to be hungry after their long journey, food is laid
      out for them.<br />
      Specially-made lanterns are hung outside each house to help the dead to
      find their way.<br />
      All night long, people dance and sing.<br />
      In the early morning, the food that had been laid out for the dead is
      thrown into a river or into the sea as it is considered unlucky for anyone
      living to eat it.<br />
      In towns that are near the sea, the tiny lanterns which had been hung in
      the streets the night before, are placed into the water when the festival
      is over.<br />
      Thousands of lanterns slowly drift out to sea guiding the dead on their
      return journey to the other world.<br />
      This is a moving spectacle, for crowds of people stand on the shore
      watching the lanterns drifting away until they can be seen no more.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 1<br />
      A puma at largePumas are large, cat-like animals which are found in
      America.<br />
      When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma had been spotted
      forty-five miles south of London, they were not taken seriously.<br />
      However, as the evidence began to accumulate, experts from the Zoo felt
      obliged to investigate, for the descriptions given by people who claimed
      to have seen the puma were extraordinarily similar.<br />
      The hunt for the puma began in a small village where a woman picking
      blackberries saw 'a large cat' only five yards away from her.<br />
      It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma
      will not attack a human being unless it is cornered.<br />
      The search proved difficult, for the puma was often observed at one place
      in the morning and at another place twenty miles away in the evening.<br />
      Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals
      like rabbits.<br />
      Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging
      to bushes.<br />
      Several people complained of 'cat-like noises' at night and a businessman
      on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree.<br />
      The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, but where
      had it come from ?<br />
      As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this
      one must have been in the possession of a private collector and somehow
      managed to escape.<br />
      The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught.<br />
      It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large
      in the quiet countryside.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 2<br />
      Thirteen equals oneOur vicar is always raising money for one cause or
      another, but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church
      clock repaired.<br />
      The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged
      many years ago and has been silent ever since.' <br />
      One night, however, our vicar woke up with a start: the clock was striking
      the hours!<br />
      Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell struck
      thirteen times before it stopped.<br />
      Armed with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was
      going on.<br />
      In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately
      recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer.<br />
      'Whatever are you doing up here Bill ?' <br />
      asked the vicar in surprise.' <br />
      I'm trying to repair the bell,' answered Bill.' <br />
      I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now.<br />
      You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.'<br />
      'You certainly did give me a surprise!' <br />
      said the vicar.<br />
      'You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well.<br />
      Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.' <br />
      'That's the trouble, vicar,' answered Bill.<br />
      'It's working all right, but I'm afraid that at one o'clock it will strike
      thirteen times and there's nothing I can do about it.' <br />
      'We'll get used to that Bill,' said the vicar.<br />
      'Thirteen is not as good as one but it's better than nothing.<br />
      Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.' <br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 3<br />
      An unknown goddess Some time ago��an interesting discovery was made by
      archaeologists on the Aegean island of Kea��<br />
      An American team explored a temple which stands in an ancient city on the
      promontory of Ayia Irini��<br />
      The city at one time must have been prosperous��for it enjoyed a high
      level of civilization��<br />
      Houses--often three storeys high--were built of stone��They had large
      rooms with beautifully decorated walls��<br />
      The city was even equipped with a drainage system��for a great many clay
      pipes were found beneath the narrow streets��<br />
      The temple which the archaeologists explored was used as a place of
      worship from the fifteenth century B.C.until Roman times.<br />
      In the most sacred room of the temple, clay fragments of fifteen statues
      were found.<br />
      Each of these represented a goddess and had, at one time, been painted.<br />
      The body of one statue was found among remains dating from the fifteenth
      century B.C.<br />
      Its missing head happened to be among remains of the fifth century B.C.<br />
      This head must have been found in Classical times and carefully
      preserved.<br />
      It was very old and precious even then.<br />
      When the archaeologists reconstructed the fragments, they were amazed to
      find that the goddess turned out to be a very modern-looking woman.<br />
      She stood three feet high and her hands rested on her hip.<br />
      She was wearing a full-length skirt which swept the ground.<br />
      Despite her great age, she was very graceful indeed, but, so far, the
      archaeologists have been unable to discover her identity.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 4<br />
      The double life of Alfred BloggsThese days, people who do manual work
      often receive far more money than clerks who work in offices.<br />
      People who work in offices are frequently referred to as' white collar
      workers' for the simple reason that they usually wear a collar and tie to
      go to work.<br />
      Such is human nature, that a great many people are often willing to
      sacrifice higher pay for the privilege of becoming white collar
      workers.<br />
      This can give rise to curious situations, as it did in the case of Alfred
      Bloggs who worked as a dustman for the Ellesmere Corporation.<br />
      <br />
      When he got married, Alf was too embarrassed to say anything to his wife
      about his job.<br />
      He simply told her that he worked for the Corporation.<br />
      Every morning, he left home dressed in a smart black suit.<br />
      He then changed into overalls(n.������) and spent the next eight hours as
      a dustman.<br />
      Before returning home at night, he took a shower and changed back into his
      suit.<br />
      Alf did this for over two years and his fellow dustmen kept his secret.<br />
      Alf's wife has never discovered that she married a dustman and she never
      will, for Alf has just found another job.<br />
      He will soon be working in an office as a junior clerk.<br />
      He will be earning only half as much as he used to, but he feels that his
      rise in status is well worth the loss of money.<br />
      From now on, he will wear a suit all day and others will call him 'Mr.
      Bloggs', not 'Alf'.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 5<br />
      The factsEditors of newspapers and magazines often go to extremes to
      provide their readers with unimportant facts and statistics.<br />
      Last year a journalist had been instructed by a well-known magazine to
      write an article on the president's palace in a new African republic.<br />
      When the article arrived, the editor read the first sentence and then
      refused to publish it.<br />
      The article began: 'Hundreds of steps lead to the high wall which
      surrounds the president's palace.' <br />
      The editor at oncesent the journalist a fax instructing him to find out
      the exact number of steps and the height of the wall.<br />
      The journalist immediately set out to obtain these important facts, but he
      took a long time to send them.<br />
      Meanwhile, the editor was getting impatient, for the magazine would soon
      go to press.<br />
      He sent the journalist two urgent telegrams, but received no reply.<br />
      He sent yet another telegram informing the journalist that if he did not
      reply soon he would be fired.<br />
      When the journalist again failed to reply, the editor reluctantly
      published the article as it had originally been written.<br />
      A week later, the editor at last received a telegram from the
      journalist.<br />
      Not only had the poor man been arrested, but he had been sent to prison as
      well.<br />
      However, he had at last been allowed to send a cable in which he informed
      the editor that he had been arrested while counting the 1084 steps leading
      to the 15-foot wall which surrounded the president's palace.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 6<br />
      Smash-and-grabThe expensive shops in a famous arcade near Piccadilly were
      just opening.<br />
      At this time of the morning, the arcade was almost empty.<br />
      Mr Taylor, the owner of a jewellery shop was admiring a new window
      display.<br />
      Two of his assistants had been working busily since 8 o'clock and had only
      just finished.<br />
      Diamond necklaces and rings had been beautifully arranged on a background
      of black velvet.<br />
      After gazing at the display for several minutes, Mr Taylor went back into
      his shop.<br />
      The silence was suddenly broken when a large car, with its headlights on
      and its horn blaring, roared down the arcade.<br />
      It came to a stop outside the jeweler's.<br />
      One man stayed at the wheel while two others with black stockings over
      their faces jumped out and smashed the window of the shop with iron
      bars.<br />
      While this was going on, Mr Taylor was upstairs.<br />
      He and his staff began throwing furniture out of the window.<br />
      Chairs and tables went flying into the arcade.<br />
      One of the thieves was struck by a heavy statue, but he was too busy
      helping himself to diamonds to notice any pain.<br />
      The raid was all over in three minutes, for the men scrambled back into
      the car and it moved off at a fantastic speed.<br />
      Just as it was leaving, Mr Taylor rushed out and ran after it throwing
      ashtrays and vases, but it was impossible to stop the thieves.<br />
      They had got away with thousands of pounds worth of diamonds.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 7<br />
      Mutilated ladiesChildren often have far more sense than their elders.<br />
      This simple truth was demonstrated rather dramatically during a civil
      defence exercise in a small town in Canada.<br />
      Most of the inhabitants were asked to take part in the exercise during
      which they had to pretend that their city had been bombed.<br />
      Air-raid warnings were sounded and thousands of people went into special
      air-raid shelters.<br />
      Doctors and nurses remained above ground while Police patrolled the
      streets in case anyone tried to leave the shelters too soon.<br />
      The police did not have much to do because the citizens took the exercise
      seriously.<br />
      They stayed underground for twenty minutes and waited for the siren to
      sound again.<br />
      On leaving the air-raid shelters, they saw that doctors and nurses were
      busy.<br />
      A great many people had volunteered to act as casualties.<br />
      Theatrical make-up and artificial blood had been used to make the injuries
      look realistic.<br />
      A lot of People were lying 'dead' in the streets.<br />
      The living helped to carry the dead and wounded to special stations.<br />
      A Child of six was brought in by two adults.<br />
      The child was supposed to be dead.<br />
      With theatrical make-up on his face, he looked as if he had died of
      shock.<br />
      Some people were so moved by the sight that they began to cry.<br />
      However, the child suddenly sat up and a doctor asked him to comment on
      his death.<br />
      The child looked around for a moment and said, 'I think they're all
      crazy!' <br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 8<br />
      A famous monasteryThe Great St Bernard Pass connects Switzerland to
      Italy.<br />
      At 2470 metres, it is the highest mountain pass in Europe.<br />
      The famous monastery of St Bernard, which was founded in the eleventh
      century, lies about a mile away.<br />
      For hundreds of years, St Bernard dogs have saved the lives of travellers
      crossing the dangerous Pass.<br />
      These friendly dogs, which were first brought from Asia, were used as
      watch-dogs even in Roman times.<br />
      Now that a tunnel has been built through the mountains, the Pass is less
      dangerous, but each year, the dogs are still sent out into the snow
      whenever a traveller is in difficulty.<br />
      Despite the new tunnel, there are still a few people who rashly attempt to
      cross the Pass on foot.<br />
      <br />
      During the summer months, the monastery is very busy, for it is visited by
      thousands of people who cross the Pass in cars, As there are so many
      people about, the dogs have to be kept in a special enclosure.<br />
      In winter, however, life at the monastery is quite different.<br />
      The temperature drops to -30 and very few people attempt to cross the
      Pass.<br />
      The monks Prefer winter to summer for they have more privacy.<br />
      The dogs have greater freedom, too, for they are allowed to wander outside
      their enclosure.<br />
      The only regular visitors to the monastery in winter are parties of skiers
      who go there at Christmas and Easter.<br />
      These young people, who love the peace of the mountains, always receive a
      warm.<br />
      Welcome at St Bernard's monastery.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 9<br />
      By now, a rocket will have set off on its 35 million mile trip to Mars and
      scientists must be waiting anxiously for the results.<br />
      The rocket will be travelling for six months before it reaches the
      planet.<br />
      It contains a number of scientific instruments, including a television
      camera.<br />
      Any pictures that are taken will have to travel for three minutes before
      they reach the earth.<br />
      If the pictures are successful, they may solve a number of problems about
      Mars and provide information about the markings on its surface which,
      nearly 100 years ago, the astronomer, Schiaparelli, thought to be
      canals.<br />
      It will be a long time before any landing on Mars can be attempted.<br />
      This will only be possible when scientists have learnt a lot more about
      the atmosphere that surrounds the planet.<br />
      If a satellite can one day be put into orbit round Mars, scientists will
      be able to find out a great deal.<br />
      An interesting suggestion for measuring the atmosphere around Mars has
      been put forward.<br />
      A rubber ball containing a radio transmitter could be dropped from a
      satellite so that it would fall towards the surface of the planet.<br />
      The radio would signal the rate which the ball was slowed down and
      scientists would be able to calculate how dense the atmosphere is.<br />
      It may even be possible to drop a capsule containing scientific
      instruments on to the planet's surface.<br />
      Only when a great deal more information has been obtained, will it be
      possible to plan a manned trip to Mars.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 10<br />
      The loss of TitanicThe great ship, Titanic, sailed for New York from
      Southampton on April 10th, 1912.<br />
      She was carrying 1316 passengers and a crew of 89l.<br />
      Even by modern standards, the 46,000 ton Titanic was a colossal ship.<br />
      At that time, however, she was not only the largest ship that had ever
      been built, but was regarded as unsinkable, for she had sixteen water-
      tight compartments.<br />
      Even if two of these were flooded, she would still be able to float.<br />
      The tragic sinking of this great liner will always be remembered, for she
      went down on her first voyage with heavy loss of life.<br />
      Four days after setting out, while the Titanic was sailing across the icy
      waters of the North Atlantic, a huge iceberg was suddenly spotted by a
      look-out.<br />
      After the alarm had been given, the great ship turned sharply to avoid a
      direct collision.<br />
      The Titanic turned just in time, narrowly missing the immense wall of ice
      which rose over 100 feet out of the water beside her.<br />
      Suddenly, there was a slight trembling sound from below, and the captain
      went down to see what had happened.<br />
      The noise had been so faint that no one thought that the ship had been
      damaged.<br />
      Below, the captain realized to his horror that the Titanic was sinking
      rapidly, for five of her sixteen water-tight compartments had already been
      flooded !<br />
      The order to abandon ship was given and hundreds of people plunged into
      the icy water.<br />
      As there were not enough life-boats for everybody, 1500 lives were
      lost.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 11<br />
      Not guilty Going through the Customs is a tiresome business.<br />
      The strangest thing about it is that really honest people are often made
      to feel guilty.<br />
      The hardened professional smuggler, on the other hand, is never troubled
      by such feelings, even if he has five hundred gold watches hidden in his
      suitcase.<br />
      When I returned from abroad recently, a particularly officious young
      Customs Officer clearly regarded me as a smuggler.<br />
      'Have you anything to declare?' <br />
      he asked, looking me in the eye.<br />
      'No,' I answered confidently.<br />
      'Would you mind unlocking this suitcase please ?'<br />
      'Not at all,' I answered.<br />
      The Officer went through the case with great care.<br />
      All the things I had packed so carefully were soon in a dreadful mess.<br />
      I felt sure I would never be able to close the case again.<br />
      Suddenly, I saw the Officer's face light up.<br />
      He had spotted a tiny bottle at the bottom of my case and he pounced on it
      with delight.<br />
      'Perfume, eh?' <br />
      he asked sarcastically.<br />
      'You should have declared that.' <br />
      Perfume is not exempt from import duty.'<br />
      'But it isn't perfume,' I said.' <br />
      It's hair-oil.' <br />
      Then I added with a smile,' It's a strange mixture I make myself.'
      <br />
      As I expected, he did not believe me.<br />
      'Try it!' <br />
      I said encouragingly.<br />
      The Officer unscrewed the cap and put the bottle to his nostrils.<br />
      He was greeted by an unpleasant smell which convinced him that I was
      telling the truth.<br />
      A few minutes later, I was able to hurry away with precious chalk-marks on
      my baggage.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 12<br />
      Life on a desert islandMost of us have formed an unrealistic picture of
      life on a desert island.<br />
      We sometimes imagine a desert island to be a sort of paradise where the
      sun always shines.<br />
      Life there is simple and good.<br />
      Ripe fruit falls from the trees and you never have to work.<br />
      The other side of the picture is quite the opposite.<br />
      Life on a desert island is wretched.<br />
      You either starve to death or live like Robinson Crusoe, waiting for a
      boat which never comes.<br />
      Perhaps there is an element of truth in both these pictures, but few of us
      have had the opportunity to find out.<br />
      Two men who recently spent five days on a coral island wished they had
      stayed there longer.<br />
      They were taking a badly damaged boat from the Virgin Islands to Miami to
      have it repaired.<br />
      During the journey, their boat began to sink.<br />
      They quickly loaded a small rubber dinghy with food, matches, and tins of
      beer and rowed for a few miles across the Caribbean until they arrived at
      a tiny coral island.<br />
      There were hardly any trees on the island and there was no water, but this
      did not prove to be a problem.<br />
      The men collected rain-water in the rubber dinghy.<br />
      As they had brought a spear gun with them, they had plenty to eat.<br />
      They caught lobster and fish every day, and, as one of them put it 'ate
      like kings'.<br />
      When a passing tanker rescued them five days later, both men were
      genuinely sorry that they had to leave.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 13<br />
      It's only meAfter her husband had gone to work, Mrs Richards sent her
      children to school and went upstairs to her bedroom.<br />
      She was too excited to do any housework that morning, for in the evening
      she would be going to a fancy dress party with her husband.<br />
      She intended to dress up as a ghost and as she had made her costume the
      night before, she was impatient to try it on.<br />
      Though the costume consisted only of a sheet, it was very effective.<br />
      After putting it on, Mrs Richards went downstairs.<br />
      She wanted to find out whether it would be comfortable to wear.<br />
      Just as Mrs Richards was entering the dining-room, there was a knock on
      the front door.<br />
      She knew that it must be the baker.<br />
      She had told him to come straight in if ever she failed to open the door
      and to leave the bread on the kitchen table.<br />
      Not wanting to frighten the poor man, Mrs Richards quickly hid in the
      small store-room under the stairs.<br />
      She heard the front door open and heavy footsteps in the hall.<br />
      Suddenly the door of the store-room was opened and a man entered.<br />
      Mrs Richards realized that it must be the man from the Electricity Board
      who had come to read the meter.<br />
      She tried to explain the situation, saying' It's only me', but it was too
      late.<br />
      The man let out a cry and jumped back several paces.<br />
      When Mrs Richards walked towards him, he fled, slamming the door behind
      him.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 14<br />
      A noble gangsterThere was a time when the owners of shop and businesses in
      Chicago had to pay large sums of money to gangsters in return for'
      protection' If the money was not paid promptly, the gangsters would
      quickly put a man out of business by destroying his shop.<br />
      Obtaining 'protechon money' is not a modern crime.<br />
      As long ago as the fourteenth century, an Englishman, Sir John Hawkwood,
      made the remarkable discovery that people would rather pay large sums of
      money than have their life work destroyed by gangsters.<br />
      Six hundred years ago, Sir John Hawkwood arrived in Italy with a band of
      soldiers and settled near Florence.<br />
      He soon made a name for himself and came to be known to the Italians as
      Giovanni Acuto.<br />
      Whenever the Italian city-states were at war with each other, Hawkwood
      used to hire his soldiers to princes who were willing to pay the high
      price he demanded.<br />
      In times of peace, when business was bad, Hawkwood and his men would march
      into a city-state and, after burning down a few farms, would offer to go
      away if protection money was paid to them.<br />
      Hawkwood made large sums of money in this way.<br />
      In spite of this, the Italians regarded him as a sort of hero.<br />
      When he died at the age of eighty, the Florentines gave him a state
      funeral and had a picture painted which was dedicated to the memory of
      'the most valiant soldier and most notable leader, Signor Giovanni
      Haukodue'.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 15<br />
      Fifty pence worth of troubleChildren always appreciate small gifts of
      money.<br />
      Father, of course, provides a regular supply of pocket-money, but uncles
      and aunts are always a source of extra income.<br />
      With some children, small sums go a long way.<br />
      If sixpences are not exchanged for sweets, they rattle for months inside
      money-boxes.<br />
      Only very thrifty children manage to fill up a money-box.<br />
      For most of them, sixpence is a small price to pay for a satisfying bar of
      chocolate.<br />
      My nephew, George, has a money-box but it is always empty.<br />
      Very few of the sixpences I have given him have found their way there.<br />
      I gave him sixpence yesterday and advised him to save it.<br />
      Instead, he bought himself sixpence worth of trouble.<br />
      On his way to the sweet shop, he dropped his sixpence and it rolled along
      the pavement and then disappeared down a drain.<br />
      George took offhis jacket, rolled up his sleeves and pushed his right arm
      through the drain cover.<br />
      He could not find his sixpence anywhere, and what is more, he could not
      get his arm out.<br />
      A crowd of people gathered round him and a lady rubbed his arm with soap
      and butter, but George was firmly stuck.<br />
      The fire-brigade was called and two firemen freed George using a special
      type of grease.<br />
      George was not too upset by his experience because the lady who owns the
      sweet shop heard about his troubles and rewarded him with a large box of
      chocolates.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 16<br />
      Mary had a little lambMary and her husband Dimitri lived in the tiny
      village of Perachora in southern Greece.<br />
      One of Mary's prize possessions was a little white lamb which her husband
      had given her.<br />
      She kept it tied to a tree in a field during the day and went to fetch it
      every evening.<br />
      One evening, however, the lamb was missing.<br />
      The rope had been cut, so it was obvious that the lamb had been stolen.<br />
      When Dimitri came in from the fields, his wife told him what had
      happened.<br />
      Dimitri at once set out to find the thief.<br />
      He knew it would not prove difficult in such a small village.<br />
      After telling several of his friends about the theft, Dimitri found out
      that his neighbour, Aleko, had suddenly acquired a new lamb.<br />
      Dimitri immediately went to Aleko's house and angrily accused him of
      stealing the lamb.<br />
      He told him he had better return it or he would call the police.<br />
      Aleko denied taking it and led Dimitri into his back-yard.<br />
      It was true that he had just bought a lamb, he explained, but his lamb was
      black.<br />
      Ashamed of having acted so rashly, Dimitri apologized to Aleko for having
      accused him.<br />
      While they were talking it began to rain and Dimitri stayed in Aleko's
      house until the rain stopped.<br />
      When he went outside half an hour later, he was astonished to find that
      the little black lamb was almost white.<br />
      Its wool, which had been dyed black, had been washed clean by the rain
      !<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 17<br />
      The longest suspension bridge in the worldVerrazano, an Italian about whom
      little is known, sailed into New York Harbour in 1524 and named it
      Angouleme.<br />
      He described it as 'a very agreeable situation located within two small
      hills in the midst of which flowed a great river.' <br />
      Though Verrazano is by no means considered to be a great explorer, his
      name will probably remain immortal, for on November 21st, 1964, the
      greatest bridge in the world was named after him.<br />
      The Verrazano Bridge, which was designed by Othmar Ammann, joins Brooklyn
      to Staten Island.<br />
      It has a span of 4260 feet.<br />
      The bridge is so long that the shape of the earth had to be taken into
      account by its designer.<br />
      Two great towers support four huge cables.<br />
      The towers are built on immense underwater platforms made of steel and
      concrete.<br />
      The platforms extend to a depth of over 100 feet under the sea.<br />
      These alone took sixteen months to build.<br />
      Above the surface of the water, the towers rise to a height of nearly 700
      feet.<br />
      They support the cables from which the bridge has been suspended.<br />
      Each of the four cables contains 26,108 lengths of wire.<br />
      It has been estimated that if the bridge were packed with cars, it would
      still only be carrying a third of its total capacity.<br />
      However, size and strength are not the only important things about this
      bridge.<br />
      Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant, fulfilling its
      designer's dream to create 'an enormous object drawn as faintly as
      possible'.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 18 <br />
      Electric currents in modern artModern sculpture rarely surprises us any
      more.<br />
      The idea that modern art can only be seen in museums is mistaken.<br />
      Even people who take no interest in art cannot have failed to notice
      examples of modern sculpture on display in public places.<br />
      Strange forms stand in gardens, and outside buildings and shops.<br />
      We have got quite used to them.<br />
      Some so-called 'modern' pieces have been on display for nearly fifty
      years.<br />
      In spite of this, some people--including myself--were surprised by a
      recent exhibition of modern sculpture.<br />
      The first thing I saw when I entered the art gallery was a notice which
      said: 'Do not touch the exhibits.<br />
      Some of them are dangerous!' <br />
      The objects on display were pieces of moving sculpture.<br />
      Oddly shaped forms that are suspended from the ceiling and move in
      response to a gust of wind are quite familiar to everybody.<br />
      These objects, however, were different.<br />
      Lined up against the wall, there were long thin wires attached to metal
      spheres.<br />
      The spheres had been magnetized and attracted or repelled each other all
      the time.<br />
      In the centre of the hall, there were a number of tall structures which
      contained coloured lights.<br />
      These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone
      mad.<br />
      Sparks were emitted from small black boxes and red lamps flashed on and
      off angrily.<br />
      It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.<br />
      These Peculiar forms not only seemed designed to shock people emotionally,
      but to give them electric shocks as well !<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 19<br />
      A very dear catKidnappers are rarely interested in Animals, but they
      recently took considerable interest in Mrs Eleanor Ramsay's cat.<br />
      Mrs Eleanor Ramsay, a very wealthy old lady, has shared a flat with her
      cat, Rastus, for a great many years.<br />
      Rastus leads an orderly life.<br />
      He usually takes a short walk in the evenings and is always home by seven
      o'clock.<br />
      One evening, however, he failed to arrive.<br />
      Mrs Ramsay got very worried.<br />
      She looked everywhere for him but could not find him.<br />
      Three day after Rastus' disappearance, Mrs Ramsay received an anonymous
      letter.<br />
      The writer stated that Rastus was in safe hands and would be returned
      immediately if Mrs Ramsay paid a ransom of &amp;1000.<br />
      Mrs Ramsay was instructed to place the money in a cardboard box and to
      leave it outside her door.<br />
      At first, she decided to go to the police, but fearing that she would
      never see Rastus again --the letter had made that quite clear--she changed
      her mind.<br />
      She drew &amp;1000 from her bank and followed the kidnapper's
      instructions.<br />
      The next morning, the box had disappeared but Mrs Ramsay was sure that the
      kidnapper would keep his word.<br />
      Sure enough, Rastus arrived punctually at seven o'clock that evening.<br />
      He looked very well, though he was rather thirsty, for he drank half a
      bottle of milk.<br />
      The police were astounded when Mrs Ramsay told them what she haddone.<br />
      She explained that Rastus was very dear to her.<br />
      Considering the amount she paid, he was dear in more ways than one!<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 20<br />
      Pioneer pilotsIn 1908 Lord Northcliffe offered a prize of &amp;1000 to the
      first man who would fly across the English Channel.<br />
      Over a year passed before the first attempt was made.<br />
      On July 19th, 1909, in the early morning, Hubert Latham took off from the
      French coast in his plane the 'Antoinette IV'.<br />
      Hehad travelled only seven miles across the Channel when his engine failed
      and he was forced to land on the sea.<br />
      The 'Antoinette' floated on the water until Latham was picked up by a
      ship.<br />
      Two days later, Louis Bleriot arrived near Calais with a plane called
      'No.XI'.<br />
      Bleriot had been making planes since 1905 and this was his latest
      model.<br />
      A week before, he had completed a successful overland flight during which
      he covered twenty-six miles.<br />
      Latham, however did not give up easily.<br />
      He, too, arrived near Calais on the same day with a new 'Antonette'.<br />
      It looks as if there would be an exciting race across the Channel.<br />
      Both planes were going to take off on July 25th, but Latham failed to get
      up early enough.<br />
      After making a short test flight at 4.15 a.m., Bleriot set off half an
      hour later.<br />
      His great flight lasted thirty seven minutes.<br />
      When he landed near Dover, the first person to greet him was a local
      policeman.<br />
      Latham made another attempt a week later and got within half a mile of
      Dover, but he was unlucky again.<br />
      His engine failed and he landed on the sea for the second time.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 21<br />
      Daniel MendozaBoxing matches were very popular in England two hundred
      years ago.<br />
      In those days, boxers fought with bare fists for Prize money.<br />
      Because of this, they were known as 'prize-fighters'.<br />
      However, boxing was very crude, for there were no rules and a
      prize-fighter could be seriously injured or even killed during a match.<br />
      One of the most colourful figures in boxing history was Daniel Mendoza who
      was born in 1764.<br />
      The use of gloves was not introduced until 1860 when the Marquis of
      Queensberry drew up the first set Of rules.<br />
      Though he was technically a prize-fighter, Mendoza did much to change
      crude prize-fighting into a sport, for he brought science to the game.<br />
      In his day, Mendoza enjoyed tremendous popularity.<br />
      He was adored by rich and poor alike.<br />
      Mendoza rose to fame swiftly after a boxing-match when he was only
      fourteen years old.<br />
      This attracted the attention of Richard Humphries who was then the most
      eminent boxer in England.<br />
      He offered to train Mendoza and his young pupil was quick to learn.<br />
      In fact, Mendoza soon became so successful that Humphries turned against
      him.<br />
      The two men quarrelled bitterly and it was clear that the argument could
      only be settled by a fight.<br />
      A match was held at Stilton where both men fought for an hour.<br />
      The public bet a great deal of money on Mendoza, but he was defeated.<br />
      Mendoza met Humphries in the ring on a later occasion and he lost for a
      second time.<br />
      It was not until his third match in 1790 that he finally beat Humphries
      and became Champion of England.<br />
      Meanwhile, he founded a highly successful Academy and even Lord Byron
      became one of his pupils.<br />
      He earned enormous sums of money and was paid as much as &amp;100 for a
      single appearance.<br />
      Despite this, he was so extravagant that he was always in debt.<br />
      After he was defeated by a boxer called Gentleman Jackson, he was quickly
      forgotten.<br />
      He was sent to prison for failing to pay his debts and died in poverty in
      1836.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 22<br />
      By heartSome plays are so successful that they run for years on end.<br />
      In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to
      go on repeating the same lines night after night.<br />
      One would expect them to know their parts by heart and never have cause to
      falter.<br />
      Yet this is not always the case.<br />
      A famous actor in a highly successful play was once cast in the role of an
      aristocrat who had been imprisoned in the Bastille for twenty years.<br />
      In the last act, a gaoler would always come on tothe stage with a letter
      which he would hand to the prisoner.<br />
      Even though the noble was expected to read the letter at each performance,
      he always insisted that it should be written out in full.<br />
      One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke on his colleague to find out
      if, after so many performances, he had managed to learn the contents of
      the letter by heart.<br />
      The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the
      aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell.<br />
      Just then, the gaoler appeared with the precious letter in his hands.<br />
      He entered the cell and presented the letter to the aristocrat.<br />
      But the copy he gave him had not been written out in full as usual.<br />
      It was simply a blank sheet of paper.<br />
      The gaoler looked on eagerly, anxious to see if his fellow-actor had at
      last learnt his lines.<br />
      The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds.<br />
      Then, squinting his eyes, he said: 'The light is dim.<br />
      Read the letter to me.' <br />
      And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler.<br />
      Finding that he could not remember a word of the letter either, the gaoler
      replied: 'The light is indeed dim, sire.<br />
      I must get my glasses.' <br />
      With this, he hurried off the stage.<br />
      Much to the aristocrat's amusement, the gaoler returned a few moments
      later with a pair of glasses and the usual copy of the letter which he
      proceeded to read to the prisoner.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 23 <br />
      One man's meat is another man's poisonPeople become quite illogical when
      they try to decide what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten.<br />
      If you lived in the Mediterranean, for instance, you would consider
      octopus a great delicacy.<br />
      You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive.<br />
      On the other hand, your stomach would turn at the idea of frying potatoes
      in animal fat-- the normally accepted practice in many northern
      countries.<br />
      The sad truth is that most of us have been brought up to eat certain foods
      and we stick to them all our lives.<br />
      No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden
      snail.<br />
      Cooked in wine, snails are a great luxury in various parts of the
      world.<br />
      There are countless people who, ever since their early years, have learned
      to associate snails with food.<br />
      My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised.<br />
      As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own.<br />
      For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take
      them to him.<br />
      The idea never appealed to me very much, but one day, after a heavy
      shower, I happened to be walking in my garden when I noticed a huge number
      of snails taking a stroll on some of my prize plants.<br />
      Acting on a sudden impulse, I collected several dozen, put them in a paper
      bag, and took them to Robert.<br />
      Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift.<br />
      I left the bag in thehall and Robert and I went into the living-room where
      we talked for a couple of hours.<br />
      I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must
      stay to dinner.<br />
      Snails would, of course, be the main dish.<br />
      I did not fancy the idea and I reluctantly followed Robert out of the
      room.<br />
      To our dismay, we saw that there were snails everywhere: they had escaped
      from the paper bag and had taken complete possession of the hall!<br />
      I have never been able to look at a snail since then.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 24<br />
      A skeleton in the cupboardWe often read in novels how a seemingly
      respectable person or family has some terrible secret which has been
      concealed from strangers for years.<br />
      The English language possesses a vivid saying to describe this sort of
      situation.<br />
      The terrible secret is called 'a skeleton in the cup board '.<br />
      At some dramatic moment in the story the terrible secret becomes known and
      a reputation is ruined.<br />
      The reader's hair stands on end when he reads in the final pages of the
      novel that the heroine, a dear old lady who had always been so kind to
      everybody, had, in her youth, poisoned every one of her five husbands.<br />
      It is all very well for such things to occur in fiction.<br />
      To varying degrees, we all have secrets which we do not want even our
      closest friends to learn, but few of us have skeletons in the cupboard.<br />
      The only person I know who has a skeleton in the cupboard is George
      Carlton, and he is very proud of the fact.<br />
      George studied medicine in his youth.<br />
      Instead of becoming a doctor, however, he became a successful writer of
      detective stories.<br />
      I once spent an uncomfortable week-end which I shall never forget at his
      house.<br />
      George showed me to the guestroom which, he said, was rarely used.<br />
      He told me to unpack my things and then come down to dinner.<br />
      After I had stacked my shirts and underclothes in two empty drawers, I
      decided to hang in the cupboard one of the two suits I had brought with
      me.<br />
      I opened the cupboard door and then stood in front of it petrified.<br />
      A skeleton was dangling before my eyes.<br />
      The sudden movement of the door made it sway slightly and it gave me the
      impression that it was about to leap out at me.<br />
      Dropping my suit, I dashed downstairs to tell George.<br />
      This was worse than 'a terrible secret'; this was a real skeleton !<br />
      But George was unsympathetic.<br />
      'Oh, that,' he said with a smile as if he were talking about an old
      friend.<br />
      'That's Sebastian.<br />
      You forget that I was a medical student once upon a time.' <br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 25<br />
      The Cutty SarkOne of the most famous sailing ships of the nineteenth
      century, the Cutty Sark, can still be seen at Greenwich.<br />
      She stands on dry land and is visited by thousands of people each year.<br />
      She serves as an impressive reminder of the great ships of the past.<br />
      Before they were replaced by steam-ships, sailing vessels like the Cutty
      Sark were used to carry tea from China and wool from Australia.<br />
      The Cutty Sark was one of the fastest sailing ships that has ever been
      built.<br />
      The only other ship to match her was the Thermopylae.<br />
      Both these ships set out from Shanghai on June 18th, 1872 on an exciting
      race to England.<br />
      This race, which went on for exactly four months, was the last of its
      kind.<br />
      It marked the end of the great tradition of ships with sails and the
      beginning of a new era.<br />
      The first of the two ships to reach Java after the race had begun was the
      Thermopylae, but on the Indian Ocean, the Cutty Sark took the lead.<br />
      It seemed certain that she would be the first ship home, but during the
      race she had a lot of bad luck.<br />
      In August, she was struck by a very heavy storm during which her rudder
      was torn away.<br />
      The Cutty Sark rolled from side to side and it became impossible to steer
      her.<br />
      A temporary rudder was made on board from spare planks and it was fitted
      with great difficulty.<br />
      This greatly reduced the speed of the ship, for there was danger that if
      she travelled too quickly, this rudder would be torn away as well.<br />
      Because of this, the Cutty Sark lost her lead.<br />
      After crossing the equator , the captain called in at a port to have a new
      rudder fitted, but by now the Thermopylae was over five hundred miles
      ahead.<br />
      Though the new rudder was fitted at tremendous speed, it was impossible
      for the Cutty Sark to win.<br />
      She arrived in England a week after the Thermopylae.<br />
      Even this was remarkable, considering that she had had so many delays.<br />
      There is no doubt that if she had not lost her rudder she would have won
      the race easily.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 26<br />
      Wanted: a large biscuit tinNo one can avoid being influenced by
      advertisements.<br />
      Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to
      choose the things we want, for advertising exerts a subtle influence on
      us.<br />
      In their efforts to persuade us to buy this or that product, advertisers
      have made a close study of human nature and have classified all our little
      weaknesses.<br />
      Advertisers discovered years ago that all of us love to get something for
      nothing.<br />
      An advertisement which begins with themagic word FREE can rarely go
      wrong.<br />
      These days, advertisers not only offer free samples but free cars, free
      houses, and free trips round the world as well.<br />
      They devise hundreds of competitions which will enable us to win huge sums
      of money.<br />
      Radio and television have made it possible for advertisers to capture the
      attention of millions of people in this way.<br />
      During a radio programme, a company of biscuit manufacturers once asked
      listeners to bake biscuits and send them to their factory.<br />
      They offered to pay $2 a pound for the biggest biscuit baked by a
      listener.<br />
      The response to this competition was tremendous.<br />
      Before long, biscuits of all shapes and sizes began arriving at the
      factory.<br />
      One lady brought in a biscuit on a wheelbarrow.<br />
      It weighed nearly 500 pounds.<br />
      A little later, a man came along with a biscuit which occupied the whole
      boot of his car.<br />
      All the biscuits that were sent were carefully weighed.<br />
      The largest was 713 pounds.<br />
      It seemed certain that this would win the prize.<br />
      But just before the competition closed, a lorry arrived at the factory
      with a truly colossal biscuit which weighed 2400 pounds.<br />
      It had been baked by a college student who had used over 1000 pounds of
      flour, 800 pounds of sugar, 200 pounds of fat, and 400 pounds of various
      other ingredients.<br />
      It was so heavy that a crane had to be used to remove it from the
      lorry.<br />
      The manufacturers had to pay more money than they had anticipated, for
      they bought the biscuit from the student for $4800.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 27<br />
      Nothing to sell and nothing to buyIt has been said that everyone lives by
      selling something.<br />
      In the light of this statement, teachers live by selling knowledge,
      philosophers by selling wisdom and priests by selling spiritual
      comfort.<br />
      Though it may be possible to measure the value of material goods in terms
      of money, it is extremely difficult to estimate the true value of the
      services which people perform for us.<br />
      There are times when we would willingly give everything we possess to save
      our lives, yet we mightgrudge paying a surgeon a high fee for offering us
      precisely this service.<br />
      The conditions of society are such that skills have to be paid for in the
      same way that goods are paid for at a shop.<br />
      Everyone has something to sell.<br />
      Tramps seem to be the only exception to this general rule.<br />
      Beggars almost sell themselves as human beings to arouse the pity of
      passers-by.<br />
      But real tramps are not beggars.<br />
      They have nothing to sell and require nothing from others.<br />
      In seeking independence, they do not sacrifice their human dignity.<br />
      A tramp may ask you for money, but he will never ask you to feel sorry for
      him.<br />
      He has deliberately chosen to lead the life he leads and is fully aware of
      the consequences He, may never be sure where the next meal is coming from,
      but he is free from the thousands of anxieties which afflict other
      people.<br />
      His few material possession make it possible for him to move from place to
      place with ease- By having to sleep in the open, he gets far closer to the
      world of nature than most of us ever do.<br />
      He may hunt, beg, or steal occasionally to keep himself alive; he may even
      in times of real need, do a little work; but he will never sacrifice his
      freedom.<br />
      We often speak of tramps with contempt and put them in the same class as
      beggars, but how many of us can honestly say that we have not felt a
      little envious of their simple way of life and their freedom from care?<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 28<br />
      Five pounds too dearSmall boats loaded with wares sped to the great liner
      as she was entering the harbour.<br />
      Before she had anchored, the men from the boats had climbed on board and
      the decks were soon covered with colourful rugs from Persia, silks from
      India, copper coffee pots, and beautiful hand-made silver-ware.<br />
      It was difficult not to be tempted.<br />
      Many of the tourists on board had begun bargaining with the tradesmen, but
      I decided not to buy anything until I had disembarked.<br />
      I had no sooner got off the ship than I was assailed by a man who wanted
      to sell me a diamond ring.<br />
      I had no intention of buying one, but I could not conceal the fact that I
      was impressed by the size of the diamonds.<br />
      Some of them were as big as marbles.<br />
      The man went to great lengths to prove that the diamonds were real.<br />
      As we were walking past a shop, he held a diamond firmly against the
      window and made a deep impression in the glass.<br />
      It took me over half an hour to get rid of him.<br />
      The next man to approach me was selling expensive pens and watches.<br />
      I examined one of the pens closely.<br />
      It certainly looked genuine.<br />
      At the base of the gold cap, the words 'made in the U.<br />
      S.<br />
      A.' <br />
      had been neatly inscribed.<br />
      The man said that the pen was worth &amp;10, but as a special favour, he
      would let me have it for &amp;8.<br />
      I shook my head and held up a finger indicating that I was willing topay a
      pound.<br />
      Gesticulating wildly, the man acted as if he found my offer outrageous,
      but he eventually reduced the price to &amp;3.<br />
      Shrugging my shoulders, I began to walk away when, a moment later, he ran
      after me and thrust the pen into my hands.<br />
      Though he kept throwing up his arms in despair, he readily accepted the
      pound I gave him.<br />
      I felt especially pleased with my wonderful bargain--until I got back to
      the ship.<br />
      No matter how hard I tried, it was impossible to fill this beautiful pen
      with ink and to this day it has never written a single word !<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 29<br />
      Funny or not?<br />
      Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been
      brought up.<br />
      The sense of humour is mysteriously bound up with national
      characteristics.<br />
      A Frenchman, for instance, might find it hard to laugh at a Russian
      joke.<br />
      In the same way, a Russian might fail to see anything amusing in a joke
      which would make an Englishman laugh to tears.<br />
      Most funny stories are based on comic situations.<br />
      In spite of national differences, certain funny situations have a
      universal appeal.<br />
      No matter where you live, you would find it difficult not to laugh at,
      say, Charlie Chaplin's early films.<br />
      However, a new type of humour, which stems largely from America, has
      recently come into fashion.<br />
      It is cal1ed' sick humour '.<br />
      Comedians base their jokes on tragic situations like violent death or
      serious accidents.<br />
      Many people find this sort of joke distasteful.<br />
      The following example of 'sick humour' will enable you to judge for
      yourself.<br />
      A man who had broken his right leg was taken to hospital a few weeks
      before Christmas.<br />
      From the moment he arrived there, he kept on pestering his doctor to tell
      him when he would be able to go home.<br />
      He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital.<br />
      Though the doctor did his best, the patient's recovery was slow.<br />
      On Christmas day, the man still had his right leg in plaster.<br />
      He spenta miserable day in bed thinking of all the fun he was missing.<br />
      The following day, however, the doctor consoled him by telling him that
      his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year
      celebrations were good.<br />
      The man took heart and, sure enough, on New Year's Eve he was able to
      hobble along to a party.<br />
      To compensate for his unpleasant experiences in hospital, the man drank a
      little more than was good for him.<br />
      In the process, he enjoyed himself thoroughly and kept telling everybody
      how much he hated hospitals.<br />
      He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party
      when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg.<br />
      Book III Lesson 30<br />
      The death of a ghostFor years villagers believed that Endley farm was
      haunted.<br />
      The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bert Cox.<br />
      They employed a few farm hands, but no one was willing to work there
      long.<br />
      Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.<br />
      Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find the work had been
      done overnight.<br />
      Hay had been cut and cow sheds had been cleaned.<br />
      A farm worker, who stayed up all night, claimed to have seen a figure
      cutting corn in themoonlight.<br />
      In time, it became an accepted fact that the Cox brothers employed a
      conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them.<br />
      No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had
      never been seen.<br />
      This was indeed the case.<br />
      A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of
      Endley had died.<br />
      Everyone went to the funeral, for the 'ghost' was none other than Eric
      Cox, a third brother who was supposed to have died as a young man.<br />
      After the funeral, Joe and Bert revealeda secret which they had kept for
      over forty years.<br />
      Eric had been the eldest son of the family.<br />
      He had been obliged to join the army during the first World War.<br />
      As he hated army life he decided to desert his regiment.<br />
      When he learnt that he would be sent abroad, he returned to the farm and
      his farther hid him until the end of the war.<br />
      Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well.<br />
      His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action.<br />
      The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bert.<br />
      They did not even tell their wives.<br />
      When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in
      hiding.<br />
      All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse��������, ��į�ߣ�.<br />
      He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the
      fact that he had become the ghost of Endley.<br />
      When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret
      any longer.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 31<br />
      A lovable eccentricTrue eccentrics never deliberately set out to draw
      attention to themselves.<br />
      They disregard social conventions without being conscious that they are
      doing anything extraordinary.<br />
      This invariably wins them the love and respect of others, for they add
      colour to the dull routine of everyday life.<br />
      Up to the time of his death, Richard Colson was one of the most notable
      figures in our town.<br />
      He was a shrewd and wealthy business-man, but the ordinary town-folk
      hardly knew anything about this side of his life.<br />
      He was known to us all as Dickie and his eccentricity had become legendary
      long before he died.<br />
      Dickie disliked snobs(����С��) intensely.<br />
      Though he owned a large car, he hardly ever used it, preferring always to
      go on foot.<br />
      Even when it was raining heavily, he refused to carry an umbrella.<br />
      One day, he walked into an expensive shop after having been caught in a
      particularly heavy shower.<br />
      He wanted to buy a &amp;300 fur coat for his wife, but he was in such a
      bedraggled condition that an assistant refused to serve him.<br />
      Dickie left the shop without a word and returned carrying a large cloth
      bag.<br />
      As it was extremely heavy, he dumped it on the counter.<br />
      The assistant asked him to leave, but Dickie paid no attention to him and
      requested to see the manager.<br />
      Recognizing who the customer was, the manager was most apologetic and
      'reprimanded the assistant severely.<br />
      When Dickie was given the fur coat, he presented the assistant with the
      cloth bag.<br />
      It contained &amp;300 in pennies.<br />
      He insisted on the assistant's counting the money before he left 72,000
      pennies in all!<br />
      On another occasion, he invited a number of important critics to see his
      private collection of modern paintings.<br />
      This exhibition received a great deal of attention in the press, for
      though the pictures were supposed to be the work of famous artists, they
      had in fact been painted by Dickie.<br />
      It took him four years to stage this elaborate joke simply to prove that
      critics do not always know what they are talking about.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 32<br />
      A lost shipThe salvage operation had been a complete failure.<br />
      The small ship, Elkor, which had been searching the Barents Sea for weeks,
      was on its way home.<br />
      A radio message from the mainland had been received by the ship's captain
      instructing him to give up the search.<br />
      The captain knew that another attempt would be made later, for the sunken
      ship he was trying to find had been carrying a precious cargo of gold
      bullion.<br />
      Despite the message, the captain of the Elkor decided to try once more.<br />
      The sea-bed was scoured with powerful nets and there was tremendous
      excitement on board when a chest was raised from the bottom.<br />
      Though the crew were at first under the impression that the lost ship had
      been found, the contents of the sea-chest proved them wrong.<br />
      What they had in fact found was a ship which had been sunk many years
      before.<br />
      The chest contained the personal belongings of a seaman, Alan Fielding.<br />
      There were books, clothing and photographs, together with letters which
      the seaman had once received from his wife.<br />
      The captain of the Elkor ordered his men to salvage as much as possible
      from the wreck.<br />
      Nothing of value was found, but the numerous items which were brought to
      the surface proved to be of great interest.<br />
      From a heavy gun that was raised, the captain realized that the ship must
      have been a cruiser.<br />
      In another sea-chest, which contained the belongings of a ship's officer,
      there was an unfinished letter which had been written on March 14th,
      1943.<br />
      The captain learnt from the letter that the name of the lost ship was the
      Karen.<br />
      The most valuable find of all was the ship's log book, parts of which it
      was still possible to read.<br />
      From this the captain was able to piece together all the information that
      had come to light.<br />
      The Karen had been sailing in a convoy to Russia when she was torpedoed by
      an enemy submarine.<br />
      This was later confirmed by a naval official at the Ministry of Defence
      after the Elkor had returned home.<br />
      All the items that were found were sent to the War Museum.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 33<br />
      A day to rememberWe have all experienced days when everything goes
      wrong.<br />
      A day may begin well enough, but suddenly everything seems to get out of
      control.<br />
      What invariably happens is that a great number of things choose to go
      wrong at precisely the same moment.<br />
      It is as if a single unimportant event set up a chain of reactions.<br />
      Let us suppose that you are preparing a meal and keeping an eye on the
      baby at the same time.<br />
      The telephone rings and this marks the prelude to an unforeseen series
      ofcatastrophes.<br />
      While you are on the phone, the baby pulls the table-cloth off the table
      smashing half your best crockery and cutting himself in the process.<br />
      You hang up hurriedly and attend to baby, crockery, etc.<br />
      Meanwhile, the meal gets burnt.<br />
      As if this were not enough to reduce you to tears, your husband arrives,
      unexpectedly bringing three guests to dinner.<br />
      Things can go wrong on a big scale as a number of people recently
      discovered in Parramatta, a suburb of Sydney.<br />
      During the rush hour one evening two cars collided and both drivers began
      to argue.<br />
      The woman immediately behind the two cars happened to be a learner.<br />
      She suddenly got into a panic and stopped her car.<br />
      This made the driver following her brake hard.<br />
      His wife was sitting beside him holding a large cake.<br />
      As she was thrown forward, the cake went right through the windscreen and
      landed on the road.<br />
      Seeing a cake flying through the air, a lorry-driver who was drawing up
      alongside the car, pulled up all of a sudden.<br />
      The lorry was loaded with empty beer bottles and hundreds of them slid off
      the back of the vehicle and on to the road.<br />
      This led to yet another angry argument.<br />
      Meanwhile, the traffic piled up behind.<br />
      It took the police nearly an hour to get the traffic on the move again.<br />
      In the meantime, the lorry- driver had to sweep up hundreds of broken
      bottles.<br />
      Only two stray dogs benefited from all this confusion, for they greedily
      devoured what was left of the cake.<br />
      It was just one of those days!<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 34<br />
      A happy discovery Antique shops exert a peculiar fascination on a great
      many people.<br />
      The more expensive kind of antique shop where rare objects are beautifully
      displayed in glass cases to keep them free from dust is usually a
      forbidding place.<br />
      But no one has to muster up courage to enter a less pretentious antique
      shop.<br />
      There is always hope that in its labyrinth of musty, dark, disordered
      rooms a real rarity will be found amongst the piles of assorted junk that
      litter the floors.<br />
      No one discovers a rarity by chance.<br />
      A truly dedicated searcher for art treasures must have patience, and above
      all, the ability to recognize the worth of something when he sees it.<br />
      To do this, he must be at least as knowledgeable as the dealer.<br />
      Like a scientist bent on making a discovery, he must cherish the hope that
      one day he will be amply rewarded.<br />
      My old friend, Frank Halliday, is just such a person.<br />
      He has often described to me how he picked up a masterpiece for a mere
      &amp;5.<br />
      One Saturday morning, Frank visited an antique shop in my
      neighbourhood.<br />
      As he had never been there before, he found a great deal to interest
      him.<br />
      The morning passed rapidly and Frank was about to leave when he noticed a
      large packing-case lying on the floor.<br />
      The dealer told him that it had just come in, but that he could not be
      bothered to open it.<br />
      Frank begged him to do so and the dealer reluctantly prised it open.<br />
      The contents were disappointing.<br />
      Apart from an interesting-looking carved dagger, the box was full of
      crockery, much of it broken.<br />
      Frank gently lifted the crockery out of the box and suddenly noticed a
      miniature Painting at the bottom of the packing-case.<br />
      As its composition and line reminded him of an Italian painting he knew
      well, he decided to buy it.<br />
      Glancing at it briefly, the dealer told him that it was worth &amp;5.<br />
      Frank could hardly conceal his excitement, for he knew that he had made a
      real discovery.<br />
      The tiny painting proved to be an unknown masterpiece by Correggio and was
      worth thousands of pounds.<br />
      Book III Lesson 35<br />
      Justice was doneThe word justice is usually associated with courts of
      law.<br />
      We might say that justice has been done when a man's innocence or guilt
      has been proved beyond doubt.<br />
      Justice is part of the complex machinery of the law.<br />
      Those who seek it, undertake an arduous journey and can never be sure that
      they will find it.<br />
      Judges, however wise or eminent, are human and can make mistakes.<br />
      <br />
      There are rare instances when justice almost ceases to be an abstract
      conception.<br />
      Reward or punishment are meted out quite independent of human
      interference.<br />
      At such times, justice acts like a living force.<br />
      When we use a phrase like it serves him right, we are, in part, admitting
      that a certain set of circumstances has enabled justice to act of its own
      accord.<br />
      When a thief was caught on the premises of a large fur store one morning,
      the shop assistants must have found it impossible to resist the temptation
      to say 'it serves him right'.<br />
      The shop was an old-fashioned one with many large, disused fireplaces and
      tall, narrow chimneys.<br />
      Towards midday, a girl heard a muffled cry coming from behind one of the
      walls.<br />
      As the cry was repeated several times, she ran to tell the manager who
      promptly rang up the fire-brigade.<br />
      The cry had certainly come from one of the chimneys, but as there were so
      many of them, the firemen could not be certain which one it was.<br />
      They located the right chimney by tapping at the walls and listening for
      the man's cries.<br />
      After chipping through a wall which was eighteen inches thick, they found
      that a man had been trapped in the chimney.<br />
      As it was extremely narrow, the man was unable to move, but the firemen
      were eventually able to free him by cutting a huge hole in the wall.<br />
      The sorry-looking, blackened figure that emerged, at once admitted that he
      had tried to break into the shop during the night but had got stuck in the
      chimney.<br />
      He had been there for nearly ten hours.<br />
      Justice had been done even before the man was handed over to the
      police.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 36<br />
      A chance in a millionWe are less credulous than we used to be In the
      nineteenth century, a novelist would bring his story to a conclusion by
      presenting his readers with a series of coincidences --most of them wildly
      improbable.<br />
      Readers happily accepted the fact that an obscure maid-servant was really
      the hero's mother.<br />
      A long-lost brother, who was presumed dead, was really alive all the time
      and wickedly plotting to bring about the hero's down- fall.<br />
      And so on.<br />
      Modern readers would find such naive solutions totally unacceptable.<br />
      Yet, in real life, circumstances do sometimes conspire to bring about
      coincidences which anyone but a nineteenth century novelist would find
      incredible.<br />
      A German taxi-driver, Franz Bussman, recently found a brother who was
      thought to have been killed twenty years before.<br />
      While on a walking tour with his wife, he stopped to talk to a workman.<br />
      After they had gone on, Mrs Bussman commented on the workman's close
      resemblance to her husband and even suggested that he might be his
      brother.<br />
      Franz poured scorn on the idea, pointingout that his brother had been
      killed in action during the war.<br />
      Though Mrs Bussman was fully acquainted with this story, she thought that
      there was a chance in a million that she might be right.<br />
      A few days later, she sent a boy to the workman to ask him if his name was
      Hans Bussman, Needless to say, the man's name was Hans Bussman and he
      really was Franz's long-lost brother.<br />
      When the brothers were re-united, Hans explained how it was that he was
      still alive.<br />
      After having been wounded towards the end of the war, he had been sent to
      hospital and was separated from his unit.<br />
      The hospital had been bombed and Hans had made his way back into Western
      Germany on foot.<br />
      Meanwhile, his unit was lost and all records of him had been destroyed.<br />
      Hans returned to hisfamily home, but the house had been bombed and no one
      in the neighbourhood knew what had become of the inhabitants.<br />
      Assuming that his family had been killed during an air-raid, Hans settled
      down in a Village fifty miles away where he had remained ever since.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 37<br />
      The Westhaven ExpressWe have learnt to expect that trains will be
      punctual.<br />
      After years of pre-conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable
      faith in railway time-tables.<br />
      Ships may be delayed by storms; air flights may be cancelled because of
      bad weather; but trains must be on time.<br />
      Only an exceptionally heavy snow fall might temporarily dislocate railway
      services.<br />
      It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something does go
      wrong.<br />
      The truth is that when mistakesoccur, they are more likely to be ours than
      theirs.<br />
      After consulting my railway time-table, I noted with satisfaction that
      there was an express train to Westhaven.<br />
      It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour
      and seventeen minutes.<br />
      When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a great many
      local people got on as well.<br />
      At the time, this did not strike me as odd.<br />
      I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who
      wished to take advantage of this excellent service.<br />
      Neither was I surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a
      few miles along the line.<br />
      Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals.<br />
      But when the train dawdled at station after station, I began to wonder.<br />
      It suddenly dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line
      at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging along at thirty.<br />
      One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the
      distance.<br />
      I asked a passenger if this was the Westhaven Express, but he had not even
      heard of it.<br />
      I determined to lodge a complaint as soon as we arrived.<br />
      Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station-master at
      Westhaven.<br />
      When he denied the train's existence, I borrowed his copy of the
      time-table.<br />
      There was a note of triumph in my voice when I told him that it was there
      in black and white.<br />
      Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again.<br />
      A tiny asterisk conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page.<br />
      It said: 'This service has been suspended.' <br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 38<br />
      The first calendarFuture historians will be in a unique position when they
      come to record the history of our own times.<br />
      They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of
      evidence that steadily accumulates.<br />
      What is more they will not have to rely solely on the written word.<br />
      Films, gramophone records, and magnetic tapes will provide them with a
      bewildering amount of information.<br />
      They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action.<br />
      But the historian attempting to reconstruct the distant past is always
      faced with a difficult task.<br />
      He has to deduce what he can from the few scanty clues available.<br />
      Even seemingly insignificant remains can shed interesting light on the
      history of early man.<br />
      Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the
      advent of agriculture, for then man was faced with a real need to
      understand something about the seasons.<br />
      Recent scientific evidence seems to indicate that this assumption is
      incorrect.<br />
      Historians have long been puzzled by dots, lines and symbols which have
      been engraved on walls, bones, and the ivory tusk of mammoths.<br />
      The nomads who made these markings lived by hunting and fishing during the
      last Ice Age, which began about 35,000 B.C.<br />
      and ended about 10,000 B.C.<br />
      By correlating markings made in various parts of the world, historians
      have been able to read this difficult code.<br />
      They have found that it is connected with the passage of days and the
      phases of the moon.<br />
      It is, in fact, a, primitive type of calendar.<br />
      It has long been known that the hunting scenes depicted on walls were not
      simply a form of artistic expression.<br />
      They had a definite meaning, for they were as near as early man could get
      to writing.<br />
      It is possible that there is a definite relation between these paintings
      and the markings that sometimes accompany them.<br />
      It seems that man was making a real effort to understand the seasons
      20,000 years earlier than has been supposed.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 39<br />
      Nothing to worry aboutThe rough road across the plain soon became so bad
      that we tried to get Bruce to drive back to the village we had come
      from.<br />
      Even though the road was littered with boulders and pitted with
      holes,Bruce was not in the least perturbed.<br />
      Glancing at his map, he informed us that the next village was a mere
      twenty miles away.<br />
      It was not that Bruce always underestimated difficulties.<br />
      He simply had no sense of danger at all.<br />
      No matter what the conditions were, he believed that a car should be
      driven as fast as it could possibly go.<br />
      As we bumped over the dusty track, we swerved to avoid large boulders.<br />
      The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car.<br />
      We felt sure that sooner or later a stone would rip a hole in our petrol
      tank or damage the engine.<br />
      Because of this, we kept looking back, wondering if we were leaving a
      trail of oil and petrol behind us.<br />
      What a relief it was when the boulders suddenly disappeared, giving way to
      a stretch of plain where the only obstacles were clumps of bushes.<br />
      But there was worse to come.<br />
      Just ahead of us there was a huge fissure.<br />
      In response to renewed pleadings, Bruce stopped.<br />
      Though we all got out to examine the fissure, heremained in the car.<br />
      We informed him that the fissure extended for fifty yards and was two feet
      wide and four feet deep.<br />
      Even this had no effect.<br />
      Bruce engaged low gear and drove at a terrifying speed, keeping the front
      wheels astride the crack as he followed its zig-zag course.<br />
      Before we had time to worry about what might happen, we were back on the
      plain again.<br />
      Bruce consulted the map once more and told us that the village was now
      only fifteen miles away.<br />
      Our next obstacle was a shallow pool of water about half a mile across.<br />
      Bruce charged at it, but in the middle, the car came to a grinding
      halt.<br />
      A yellow light on the dash- board flashed angrily and Bruce cheerfully
      announced that there was no oil in the engine!<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 40<br />
      Who's whoIt has never been explained why university students seem to enjoy
      practical jokes more than anyone else.<br />
      Students specialize in a particular type of practical joke: the hoax.<br />
      Inviting the fire-brigade to put out a non-existent fire is a crude form
      of deception which no self-respecting student would ever indulge in,
      Students often create amusing situations which are funny to everyone
      except the victims.<br />
      When a student recently saw two workmen using a pneumatic drill outside
      his university, he immediately telephoned the police and informed them
      that two students dressed up as workmen were tearing up the road with a
      pneumatic drill.<br />
      As soon as he had hung up, he went over to the workmen and told them that
      if a policeman ordered them to go away, they were not to take him
      seriously.<br />
      He added that a student had dressed up as a policeman and was playing all
      sorts of silly jokes on people.<br />
      Both the police and the workmen were grateful to the student for this
      piece of advance information.<br />
      The student hid in an archway nearby where he could watch and hear
      everything that went on.<br />
      Sure enough, a policeman arrived on the scene and politely asked the
      workmen to go away.<br />
      When he received a very rude reply from one of the workmen, he threatened
      to remove them by force.<br />
      The workmen told him to do as he pleased and the policeman telephoned for
      help.<br />
      Shortly afterwards, four more policemen arrived and remonstrated with the
      workmen.<br />
      As the men refused to stop working, the police attempted to seize the
      pneumatic drill.<br />
      The workmen struggled fiercely and one of them lost his temper.<br />
      He threatened to call the police.<br />
      At this, the police pointed out ironically that this would hardly be
      necessary as the men were already under arrest.<br />
      Pretending to speak seriously, one of the workmen asked if he might make a
      telephone call before being takento the station.<br />
      Permission was granted and a policeman accompanied him to a call-box.<br />
      Only when he saw that the man was actually telephoning the police did he
      realize that they had all been the victims of a hoax.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 41<br />
      Illusions of Pastoral peaceThe quiet life of the country has never
      appealed to me.<br />
      City born and city bred, I have always regarded the country as something
      you look at through a train window, or something you occasionally visit
      during the week-end.<br />
      Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at
      the mere mention of the country.<br />
      Though they extol the virtues of the peaceful life, only one of them has
      ever gone to live in the country and he was back in town within six
      months.<br />
      Evenhe still lives under the illusion that country life is somehow
      superior to town life.<br />
      He is forever talking about the friendly people, the clean atmosphere, the
      closeness to nature and the gentle pace of living.<br />
      Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cock crow, the
      twittering of birds at dawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the
      trees and pastures.<br />
      This idyllic pastoral scene isonly part of the picture.<br />
      My friend fails to mention the long and friendless winter evenings which
      are interrupted only by an occasional visit to the local cinema-virtually
      the only form of entertainment.<br />
      He says nothing about the poor selection of goods in the shops, or about
      those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to the city
      every day to get to work.<br />
      Why people are prepared to tolerate a four hour journey each day for the
      dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond my ken.<br />
      They could be saved so much misery and expense if they chose to live in
      the city where they rightly belong.<br />
      If you can do without the few pastoral pleasures of the country, you will
      find the city can provide you with the best that life can offer.<br />
      You never have to travel miles to see your friends.<br />
      They invariably live nearby and are always available for an informal chat
      or an evening's entertainment.<br />
      Some of my acquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a
      year to visit the theatre as a special treat.<br />
      For them this is a major operation which involves considerable
      planning.<br />
      As the play draws to its close, they wonder whether they will ever catch
      that last train home.<br />
      The city dweller never experiences anxieties of this sort.<br />
      The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short bus ride away.<br />
      Shopping, too, is always a pleasure.<br />
      There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second
      best.<br />
      Country people run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home
      loaded with as many of the necessities of life as they can carry.<br />
      Nor is the city without its moments of beauty.<br />
      There is something comforting about the warm glow shed by advertisements
      on cold wet winter nights.<br />
      Few things could be more impressive than the peace that descends on
      deserted city streets at week-ends when the thousands that travel to work
      everyday are tucked a way in their homes in the country.<br />
      It has always been a mystery to me why city dwellers, who appreciate all
      these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the
      country.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 42<br />
      Modern CavemenCave exploration, or potholing, as it has come to be known,
      is a relatively new sport.<br />
      Perhaps it is the desire for solitude or the chance of making an
      unexpected discovery that lures men down to the depths of the earth.<br />
      It is impossible to give a satisfactory explanation for a pot-holer's
      motives.<br />
      For him, caves have the same peculiar fascination which high mountains
      have for the climber.<br />
      They arouse instincts which can only be dimly understood.<br />
      Exploring really deep caves is not a task for the Sunday afternoon
      rambler.<br />
      Such undertakings require the precise planning and foresight of military
      operations.<br />
      It can take as long as eight days to rig up rope ladders and to establish
      supply bases before a descent can be made into a very deep cave.<br />
      Precautions of this sort are necessary, for it is impossible to foretell
      the exact nature of the difficulties which will confront the potholer.<br />
      The deepest known cave in the world is the Gouffre Berger near
      Grenoble.<br />
      It extends to a depth of 3723 feet.<br />
      This immense chasm has been formed by an underground stream which has
      tunnelled a course through a flaw in the rocks.<br />
      The entrance to the cave is on a plateau in the Dauphine Alps.<br />
      As it is only six feet across, it is barely noticeable.<br />
      The cave might never have been discovered had not the entrance been
      spotted by the distinguished French potholer, Berger.<br />
      Since its discovery, it has become a sort of potholers' Everest.<br />
      Though a number of descents have been made, much of it still remains to be
      explored.<br />
      A team of potholers recently went down the Gouffre Berger.<br />
      After entering the narrow gap on the plateau, they climbed down the steep
      sides of the cave until they came to a narrow corridor.<br />
      They had to edge their way along this, sometimes wading across shallow
      streams, or swimming across deep pools.<br />
      Suddenly they came to a waterfall which dropped into an underground lake
      at the bottom of the cave.<br />
      They plunged into the lake, and after loading their gear on an inflatable
      rubber dinghy, let the current carry them to the other side.<br />
      To protect themselves from the icy water, they had to wear special rubber
      suits.<br />
      At the far end of the lake, they came to huge piles of rubble which had
      been washed up by the water.<br />
      In this part of the cave, they could hear an insistent booming sound which
      they found was caused by a small water-spout shooting down into a pool
      from the roof of the cave.<br />
      Squeezing through a cleft in the rocks, the potholers arrived at an
      enormous cavern, the size of a huge concert hall.<br />
      After switching on powerful arc lights, they saw great stalagmites-some of
      them over forty feet high--rising up like tree-trunks to meet the
      stalactites suspended from the roof.<br />
      Round about, piles of lime-stone glistened in all the colours of the
      rainbow.<br />
      In the eerie silence of the cavern, the only sound that could be heard was
      made by water which dripped continuously from the high dome above them.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 43<br />
      Fully insuredInsurance companies are normally willing to insure
      anything.<br />
      Insuring public or private property is a standard practice in most
      countries in the world.<br />
      If, however, you were holding an open air garden party or a fete it would
      be equally possible to insure yourself in the event of bad weather.<br />
      Needless to say, the bigger the risk an insurance company takes, the
      higher the premium you will have to pay.<br />
      It is not uncommon to hear that a ship-ping company has made a claim for
      the cost of salvaging a sunken ship.<br />
      But the claim made by a local authority to recover the cost of salvaging a
      sunken pie dish must surely be unique.<br />
      Admittedly it was an unusual pie dish, for it was eighteen feet long and
      six feet wide.<br />
      It had been purchased by a local authority so that an enormous pie could
      be baked for an annual fair.<br />
      The pie committee decided that the best way to transport the dish would be
      by canal, so they insured it for the trip.<br />
      Shortly after it was launched, the pie committee went to a local inn to
      celebrate.<br />
      At the same time, a number of teenagers climbed on to the dish and held a
      little party of their own.<br />
      Modern dances proved to be more than the disk could bear, for during the
      party it capsized and sank in seven feet of water.<br />
      The pie committee telephoned a local garage owner who arrived in a
      recovery truck to salvage the pie dish.<br />
      Shivering in their wet clothes, the teenagers looked on while three men
      dived repeatedly into the water to locate the dish.<br />
      They had little difficulty in finding it, but hauling it out of the water
      proved to be a serious problem.<br />
      The sides of the dish were so smooth that it was almost impossible to
      attach hawsers and chains to the rim without damaging it.<br />
      Eventually chains were fixed to one end of the dish and a powerful winch
      was put into operation.<br />
      The dish rose to the surface and was gently drawn towards the canal
      bank.<br />
      For one agonizing moment, the dish was perched precariously on the bank of
      the canal, but it suddenly overbalanced and slid back into the water.<br />
      The men were now obliged to try once more.<br />
      This time they fixed heavy metal clamps to both sides of the dish so that
      they could fasten the chains.<br />
      The dish now had to be lifted vertically because one edge was resting
      against the side of the canal.<br />
      The winch was again put into operation and one of the men started up the
      truck.<br />
      Several minutes later, the dish was successfully hauled above the surface
      of the water.<br />
      Water streamed in torrents over its sides with such force that it set up a
      huge wave in the canal.<br />
      There was danger that the wave would rebound off the other side of the
      bank and send the dish plunging into the water again.<br />
      By working at tremendous speed, the men managed to get the dish on to dry
      land before the wave returned.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 44 <br />
      Speed and comfortPeople travelling long distances frequently have to
      decide whether they would prefer to go by land, sea, or air.<br />
      Hardly anyone can positively enjoy sitting in a train for more than a few
      hours.<br />
      Train compartments soon get cramped and stuffy.<br />
      It is almost impossible to take your mind off the journey.<br />
      Reading is only a partial solution, for the monotonous rhythm of the
      wheels clicking on the rails soon lulls you to sleep.<br />
      During the day, sleep comes in snatches.<br />
      At night, when you really wish to go to sleep, you rarely manage to do
      so.<br />
      If you are lucky enough to get a couchette, you spend half the night
      staring at the small blue light in the ceiling, or fumbling to find your
      passport when you cross a frontier.<br />
      Inevitably you arrive at your destination almost exhausted.<br />
      Long car journeys are even less pleasant, for it is quite impossible even
      to read.<br />
      On motor-ways you can, at least, travel fairly safely at high speeds, but
      more often than not, the greater part of the journey is spent on narrow,
      bumpy roads which are crowded with traffic.<br />
      By comparison, trips by sea offer a great variety of civilized
      comforts.<br />
      You can stretch your legs on the spacious decks, play games, swim, meet
      interesting people and enjoy good food--always assuming, of course, that
      the sea is calm.<br />
      If it is not, and you are likely to get sea-sick, no form of transport
      could be worse.<br />
      Even if you travel in ideal weather, sea journeys take a long time.<br />
      Relatively few people are prepared to sacrifice up to a third of their
      holidays for the pleasure of travelling on a ship.<br />
      Aeroplanes have the reputation of being dangerous and even hardened
      travellers are intimidated by them.<br />
      They also have the grave disadvantage of being the most expensive form of
      transport.<br />
      But nothing can match them for speed and comfort.<br />
      Travelling at a height of 30,000 feet, far above the clouds, and at over
      500 miles an hour is an exhilarating experience.<br />
      You do not have to deviseways of taking your mind off the journey, for an
      aeroplane gets you to your destination rapidly.<br />
      For a few hours, you settle back in a deep armchair to enjoy the
      flight.<br />
      The real escapist can watch a free film show and sip champagne on some
      services.<br />
      But even when such refinements are not available, there is plenty to keep
      you occupied.<br />
      An aeroplane offers you an unusual and breathtaking view of the world.<br />
      You soar effortlessly over high mountains and deep valleys.<br />
      You really see the shape of the land.<br />
      If the landscape is hidden from view, you can enjoy the extraordinary
      sight of unbroken cloud plains that stretch out for miles before you,
      while the sun shines brilliantly in a clear sky.<br />
      The journey is so smooth that there is nothing to prevent you from reading
      or sleeping.<br />
      However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain: you will
      arrive at your destination fresh and uncrumpled.<br />
      You will not have to spend the next few days recovering from a long and
      arduous journey.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 45<br />
      The power of pressIn democratic countries any efforts to restrict the
      freedom of the press are rightly condemned.<br />
      However, this freedom can easily be abused.<br />
      Stories about people often attract far more public attention than
      political events.<br />
      Though we may enjoy reading about the lives of others, it is extremely
      doubtful whether we would equally enjoy reading about ourselves.<br />
      Acting on the contention that facts are sacred, reporters can cause untold
      suffering to individuals by publishing details about their private
      lives.<br />
      Newspapers exert such tremendous influence that they can not only bring
      about major changes to the lives of ordinary people but can even overthrow
      a government.<br />
      The story of a poor family that acquired fame and fortune overnight,
      dramatically illustrates the power of the press.<br />
      The family lived in Aberdeen, a small town of 23,000 inhabitants in South
      Dakota.<br />
      As the parents had five children, life was a perpetual struggle against
      poverty.<br />
      They were expecting their sixth child and faced with even more pressing
      economic problems.<br />
      If they had only had one more child, the fact would have passed
      unnoticed.<br />
      They would have continued to struggle against economic odds and would have
      lived in obscurity.<br />
      But they suddenly became the parents of quintuplets, four girls and a boy,
      an event which radically changed their lives.<br />
      The day after the birth of the five children, an aeroplane arrived in
      Aberdeen bringing sixty reporters and photographers.<br />
      The news was of national importance, for the poor couple had become the
      parents of the only quintuplets in America.<br />
      The rise to fame was swift.<br />
      Television cameras and newspapers carried the news to everyone in the
      country.<br />
      Newspapers and magazines offered the family huge sums for the exclusive
      rights to publish stories and photographs.<br />
      Gifts poured in not only from unknown people, but from baby food and soap
      manufacturers who wished to advertise their products.<br />
      The old farmhouse the family lived in was to be replaced by a new $100,000
      home.<br />
      Reporters kept pressing for interviews so lawyers had to be employed to
      act as spokesmen for the family at press conferences.<br />
      The event brought serious changes to the town itself.<br />
      Plans were announced to build a huge new highway, as Aberdeen was now
      likely to attract thousands of tourists.<br />
      Signposts erected on the outskirts of the town directed tourists not to
      Aberdeen, but to 'Quint-City U.<br />
      S.<br />
      A.' <br />
      The local authorities discussed the possibility of erecting a 'quint
      museum' to satisfy the curiosity of the public and to protect the family
      from inquisitive tourists.<br />
      While the five babies were still quietly sleeping in oxygen tents in a
      hospital nursery, their parents were paying the price for fame.<br />
      It would never again be possible for them to lead normal lives.<br />
      They had become the victims of commercialization, for their names had
      acquired a market value.<br />
      The town itself received so much attention that almost every one of the
      inhabitants was affected to a greater or less degree.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 46<br />
      Do it yourselfSo great is our passion for doing things for ourselves, that
      we are becoming increasingly less dependent on specialized labour.<br />
      No one can plead ignorance of a subject any longer, for there are
      countless do-it-yourself publications.<br />
      Armed with the right tools and materials, newly-weds gaily embark on the
      task of decorating their own homes.<br />
      Men of all ages spend hours of their leisure time installing their own
      fireplaces, laying-out their own gardens; building garages and
      makingfurniture.<br />
      Some really keen enthusiasts go so far as to build their own record
      players and radio transmitters.<br />
      Shops cater for the do-it-yourself craze not only by running special
      advisory services for novices, but by offering consumers bits and pieces
      which they can assemble at home.<br />
      Such things provide an excellent outlet for pent-up creative energy, but
      unfortunately not all of us are born handymen.<br />
      Wives tend to believe that their husbands are infinitely resourceful and
      versatile.<br />
      Even husbands who can hardly drive a nail in straight are supposed to be
      born electricians, carpenters, plumbers and mechanics.<br />
      When lights fuse, furniture gets rickety, pipes get clogged, or vacuum
      cleaners fail to operate, wives automatically assume that their husbands
      will somehow put things right.<br />
      The worst thing about the do-it-yourself game is that sometimes husbands
      live under the delusion that they can do anything even when they have been
      repeatedly proved wrong.<br />
      It is a question of pride as much as anything else.<br />
      Last spring my wife suggested that I call in a man to look at our
      lawn-mower.<br />
      It had broken down the previous summer, and though I promised to repair
      it, I had never got round to it.<br />
      I would not hear of the suggestion and said that I would fix it myself.<br />
      One Saturday afternoon, I hauled the machine into the garden and had a
      close look at it.<br />
      As far as I could see, it only needed a minor adjustment: a turn of a
      screw here, a little tightening up there, a drop of oil and it would be as
      good as new.<br />
      Inevitably the repair job was not quite so simple.<br />
      The mower firmly refused to mow, so I decided to dismantle it.<br />
      The garden was soon littered with chunks of metal which had once made up a
      lawn-mower.<br />
      But I was extremely pleased with myself I had traced the cause of the
      trouble.<br />
      One of the links in the chain that drives the wheels had snapped.<br />
      After buying a new chain I was faced with the insurmountable task of
      putting the confusing jigsaw puzzle together again.<br />
      I was not surprised to find that the machine still refusedto work after I
      had reassembled it, for the simple reason that I was left with several
      curiously shaped bits of metal which did not seem to fit anywhere.<br />
      I gave up in despair.<br />
      The weeks passed and the grass grew.<br />
      When my wife nagged me to do something about it, I told her that either I
      would have to buy a new mower or let the grass grow.<br />
      Needless to say our house is now surrounded by a jungle.<br />
      Buried somewhere in deep grass there is a rusting lawn-mower which I have
      promised to repair one day.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 47<br />
      Through the earth's crustSatellites orbiting round the earth have provided
      scientists with a vast amount of information about conditions in outer
      space.<br />
      By comparison, relatively little is known about the internal structure of
      the earth.<br />
      It has proved easier to go up than to go down.<br />
      The deepest hole ever to bebored on land went down 25,340 feet--
      considerably less than the height of Mount Everest.<br />
      Drilling a hole under the sea has proved to be even more difficult.<br />
      The deepest hole bored under sea has been about 20,000 feet.<br />
      Until recently, scientists have been unable to devise a drill which would
      be capable of cutting through hard rock at great depths.<br />
      This problem has now been solved.<br />
      Scientists have developed a method which sounds surprisingly simple.<br />
      A new drill which is being tested at Leona Valley Ranch in Texas is driven
      by a turbine engine which is propelled by liquid mud pumped into it from
      the surface.<br />
      As the diamond tip of the drill revolves, it is lubricated by mud.<br />
      Scientists have been amazed to find that it can cut through the hardest
      rock with great ease.<br />
      The drill has been designed to bore through the earth to a depth of 35,000
      feet.<br />
      It will enable scientists to obtain samples of the mysterious layer which
      lies immediately below the earth's crust.<br />
      This layer is known as the Mohorovicic Discontinuity, but is commonly
      referred to as 'the Moho'.<br />
      Before it is possible to drill this deep hole, scientists will have to
      overcome a number of problems.<br />
      Geological tests will be carried out to find the point at which the
      earth's crust is thinnest.<br />
      The three possible sites which are being considered are all at sea: two in
      the Atlantic Ocean and one in the Pacific.<br />
      Once they have determinded on a site, they will have to erect a drilling
      vessel which willnot be swept away by ocean currents.<br />
      The vessel will consist of an immense platform which will rise to 70 feet
      above the water.<br />
      It will be supported by six hollow columns which will descend to a depth
      of 60 feet below the ocean surface where they will be fixed to a huge
      float.<br />
      A tall steel tower rising to a height of nearly 200 feet will rest on the
      platform.<br />
      The drill will be stored in the towerand will have to be lowered through
      about 15,000 feet of water before operations can begin.<br />
      Within the tower, there will be a laboratory, living accommodation and a
      helicopter landing station.<br />
      Keeping the platform in position at sea will give rise to further
      problems.<br />
      To do this, scientists will have to devise methods using radar and
      underwater television.<br />
      If, during the operations the drill has to be withdrawn, it must be
      possible to re-insert it.<br />
      Great care will therefore have to be taken to keep the platform steady and
      make it strong enough to withstand hurricanes.<br />
      If the project is successful, scientists will not only learn a great deal
      about the earth, but possibly about the nature of the universe itself.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 48 <br />
      The silent villageIn this much-travelled world, there are still thousands
      of places which are inaccessible to tourists.<br />
      We always assume that villagers in remote places are friendly and
      hospitable.<br />
      But people who are cut off not only from foreign tourists, but even from
      their own countrymen can be hostile to travellers.<br />
      Visits to really remote villages are seldom enjoyable--as my wife and I
      discovered during a tour through the Balkans.<br />
      We had spent several days in a small town and visited a number of old
      churches in the vicinity.<br />
      These attracted many visitors for they were not only of great
      architectural interest, but contained alarge number of beautifully
      preserved frescoes as well.<br />
      On the day before our departure, several bus loads of tourists descended
      on the town.<br />
      This was more than we could bear, so we decided to spend our last day
      exploring the countryside.<br />
      Taking a path which led out of the town, we crossed a few fields until we
      came to a dense wood.<br />
      We expected the path to end abruptly, but we found that it traced its way
      through the trees.<br />
      We tramped through the wood for over two hours until we arrived at a deep
      stream.<br />
      We could see that the path continued on the other side, but we had no idea
      how we could get across the stream.<br />
      Suddenly my wife spotted a boat moored to the bank.<br />
      In it there was a boatman fast asleep.<br />
      We gently woke him up and asked him to ferry us to the other side.<br />
      Though he was reluctant to do so at first, we eventually persuaded him to
      take us.<br />
      The path led to a tiny village perched on the steep sides of a
      mountain.<br />
      The place consisted of a straggling unmade road which was lined on either
      side by small houses.<br />
      Even under a clear blue sky, the village looked forbidding, as all the
      houses were built of grey mud bricks.<br />
      The village seemed deserted, the only sign of life being an ugly-looking
      black goat tied to a tree on a short length ofrope in a field nearby.<br />
      Sitting down on a dilapidated wooden fence near the field, we opened a
      couple of tins of sardines and had a picnic lunch.<br />
      All at once, I noticed that my wife seemed to be filled with alarm.<br />
      Looking up I saw that we were surrounded by children in rags who were
      looking at us silently as we ate.<br />
      We offered them food and spoke to them kindly, but they remained
      motionless.<br />
      I concluded that they were simply shy of strangers.<br />
      When we later walked down the main street of the village, we were followed
      by a silent procession of children.<br />
      The village which had seemed deserted, immediately came to life.<br />
      Faces appeared at windows.<br />
      Men in shirt sleeves stood outside their houses and glared at us.<br />
      Old women in black shawls peered at us from door-ways.<br />
      The most frightening thing of all was that not a sound could be heard.<br />
      There was no doubt that we were unwelcome visitors.<br />
      We needed no further warning.<br />
      Turning back down the main street, we quickened our pace and made our way
      rapidly towards the stream where we hoped the boatman was waiting.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 49<br />
      The Ideal ServantIt is a good thing my aunt Harriet died years ago.<br />
      If she were alive today she would not be able to air her views on her
      favourite topic of conversation: domestic servants.<br />
      Aunt Harriet lived in thatleisurely age when servants were employed to do
      housework.<br />
      She had a huge, rambling country house called 'The Gables'.<br />
      She was sentimentally attached to this house, for even though it was
      fartoo big for her needs, she persisted in living there long after her
      husband's death.<br />
      Before she grew old, aunt Harriet used to entertain lavishly.<br />
      I often visited The Gables when I was a boy.<br />
      No matterhow many guests were present, the great house was always
      immaculate.<br />
      The parquet floors shone like mirrors; highly polished silver was
      displayed in gleaming glass cabinets; even my uncle's huge collection of
      books was kept miraculously free from dust.<br />
      Aunt Harriet presided over an invisible army of servants that continuously
      scrubbed, cleaned, and polished.<br />
      She always referred to them as' the shifting population', for they came
      and went with such frequency that I never even got a chance to learn their
      names, Though my aunt pursued what was, in those days, an enlightened
      policy in that she never allowed her domestic staff to work more than
      eight hours a day, she was extremely difficult to please.<br />
      While she always decried the fickleness of human nature, she carried on an
      unrelenting search for the ideal servant to the end of her days, even
      after she had been sadly disillusioned by Bessie.<br />
      Bessie worked for aunt Harriet for three years.<br />
      During that time she so gained my aunt's confidence, that she was put in
      charge of the domestic staff.<br />
      Aunt Hariet could not find words to praise Bessie's industry and
      efficiency.<br />
      In addition to all her other qualifications, Bessie was an expert cook.<br />
      She acted the role of the perfect servant for three years before aunt
      Harriet discovered her 'little weakness'.<br />
      After being absent from The Gables for a week, my aunt unexpectedly
      returned one afternoon with a party of guests and instructed Bessie to
      prepare dinner.<br />
      Not only was the meal well below the usual standard, but Bessie seemed
      unable to walk steadily.<br />
      She bumped into the furniture and kept mumbling about the guests.<br />
      When she came in with the last course-a huge pudding-she tripped on the
      carpet and the pudding went flying through the air, narrowly missed my
      aunt, and crashed on the dining table with considerable force.<br />
      Though this occasioned great mirth among the guests, aunt Harriet was
      horrified.<br />
      She reluctantly came to the conclusion that Bessie was drunk.<br />
      The guests had, of course, realized this from the moment Bessie opened the
      door for them and, long before the final catastrophe, had had a difficult
      time trying to conceal their amusement.<br />
      The poor girl was dismissed instantly.<br />
      After her departure, aunt Harriet discovered that there were piles of
      empty wine bottles of all shapes and sizes neatly stacked in what had once
      been Bessie's wardrobe.<br />
      They had mysteriously found their way there from the wine-cellar!<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 50<br />
      New Year ResolutionsThe New Year is a time for resolutions.<br />
      Mentally, at least, most of us could compile formidable lists of ' do's'
      and' don'ts '.<br />
      The same old favourites recur year in year out with monotonous
      regularity.<br />
      We resolve to get up earlier each morning, eat less, find more time to
      play with the children, do a thousand and one jobs about the house, be
      nice to people we don't like, drive carefully, and take the dog for a walk
      every day.<br />
      Past experience has taught us that certain accomplishments are beyond
      attainment.<br />
      If we remain inveterate smokers, it is only because we have so often
      experienced the frustration that results from failure.<br />
      Most of us fail in our efforts at self-improvement because our schemes are
      too ambitious and we never have time to carry them out.<br />
      We also make the fundamental error of announcing our resolutions to
      everybody so that we look even more foolish when we slip back into our bad
      old ways.<br />
      Aware of these pitfalls, this year I attempted to keep my resolutions to
      myself.<br />
      I limited myself to two modest ambitions: to do physical exercises every
      morning and to read more of an evening.<br />
      An all-night party on New Year's Eve, provided me with a good excuse for
      not carrying out either of these new resolutions on the first day of the
      year, but on the second, I applied myself assiduously to the task.<br />
      The daily exercises lasted only eleven minutes and I proposed to do them
      early in the morning before anyone had got up.<br />
      The self-discipline required to drag myself out of bed eleven minutes
      earlier than usual was considerable.<br />
      Nevertheless, I managed to creep down into the living-room for two days
      before anyone found me out.<br />
      After jumping about on the carpet and twisting the human frame into
      uncomfortable positions, I sat down at the breakfast table in an exhausted
      condition.<br />
      It was this that betrayed me.<br />
      The next morning the whole family trooped in to watch the performance.<br />
      That was really unsettling but I fended off the taunts and jibes of the
      family good-humouredly and soon everybody got used to the idea.<br />
      However, my enthusiasm waned.<br />
      The time I spent at exercises gradually diminished.<br />
      Little by little the eleven minutes fell to zero.<br />
      By January 10th, I was back to where I had started from.<br />
      I argued that if I spent less time exhausting myself at exercises in the
      morning I would keep my mind fresh for reading when I got home from
      work.<br />
      Resisting the hypnotizing effect of television, I sat in my room for a few
      evenings with my eyes glued to a book, one night, however, feeling cold
      and lonely, I went downstairs and sat in front of the television
      pretending to read.<br />
      That proved to be my undoing, for I soon got back to my old bad habit of
      dozing off in front of the screen.<br />
      I still haven't given up my resolution to do more reading.<br />
      In fact, I have just bought a book entitled 'How to Read a Thousand Words
      a Minute'.<br />
      Perhaps it will solve my problem, but I just haven't had time to read
      it!<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 51<br />
      AutomationOne of the greatest advances in modern technology has been the
      invention of computers.<br />
      They are already widely used in industry and in universities and the time
      may come when it will be possiblefor ordinary people to use them as
      well.<br />
      Computers are capable of doing extremely complicated work in all branches
      of learning.<br />
      They can solve the most complex mathematical problems or putthousands of
      unrelated facts in order.<br />
      These machines can be put to varied uses.<br />
      For instance, they can provide information on the best way to prevent
      traffic accidents, or they can count the numberof times the word 'and' has
      been used in the Bible.<br />
      Because they work accurately and at high speeds, they save research
      workers years of hard work.<br />
      This whole process by which machines can be used to work for us has been
      called automation.<br />
      In the future, automation may enable human beings to enjoy far more
      leisure than they do today.<br />
      The coming of automation is bound to have important social
      consequences.<br />
      Some time ago an expert, on automation, Sir Leon Bagrit, pointed out that
      it was a mistake to believe that these machines could 'think'.<br />
      There is no possibility that human beings will be 'controlled by
      machines'.<br />
      Though computers are capable of learning from their mistakes and improving
      on their performance they need detailed instructions from human beings in
      order to be able to operate.<br />
      They can never, as it were, lead independent lives, or 'rule the world' by
      making decisions of their own.<br />
      Sir Leon said that in the future, computers would be developed which would
      be small enough to carry in the pocket.<br />
      Ordinary people would then be able to use them to obtain valuable
      information.<br />
      Computers could be plugged into a national network and be used like
      radios.<br />
      For instance, people going on holiday could be informed about weather
      conditions; car drivers could be given alternative routes when there are
      traffic jams.<br />
      It will also be possible to make tiny translating machines.<br />
      This will enable people who do not share a common language to talk to each
      other without any difficulty or to read foreign publications.<br />
      It is impossible to assess the importance of a machine of this sort, for
      many international misunderstandings are caused simply through our failure
      to understand each other.<br />
      Computers will also be used in hospitals.<br />
      By providing a machine with a patient's symptoms, a doctor will be able to
      diagnose the nature of his illness.<br />
      Similarly, machines could be used to keep a check on a patient's health
      record and bring it up to date.<br />
      Doctors will therefore have immediate access to a great many facts which
      will help them in their work.<br />
      Book-keepers and accountants, too, could be relieved of dull clerical
      work, forthe tedious task of compiling and checking lists of figures could
      be done entirely by machines.<br />
      Computers are the most efficient servants man has ever had and there is no
      limit to the way they can be used to improve our lives.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 52<br />
      Mud is mudMy cousin, Harry, keeps a large curiously shaped bottle on
      permanent display in his study.<br />
      Despite the fact that the bottle is tinted a delicate shade of green, an
      observant visitor would soon notice that it is filled with what looks like
      a thick greyish substance.<br />
      If you were to ask Harry what was in the bottle, he would tell you that it
      contained perfumed mud.<br />
      If you expressed doubt or surprise, he would immediately invite you to
      smell it and then to rub some into your skin.<br />
      This brief experiment would dispel any further doubts you might
      entertain.<br />
      The bottle really does contain perfumed mud.<br />
      How Harry came into the possession of this outlandish stuff makes an
      interesting story which he is fond of relating.<br />
      Further- more, the acquisition of this bottle cured him of a bad habit he
      had been developing for years.<br />
      Harry used to consider it a great joke to go into expensive cosmetic shops
      and make outrageous requests for goods that do not exist.<br />
      He would invent fanciful names on the spot.<br />
      On entering a shop, he would ask for a new perfume called 'Scented Shadow'
      or for 'insoluble bath cubes'.<br />
      If a shop girl told him she had not heard of it, he would pretend to be
      considerably put out.<br />
      He loved to be told that one of his imaginary products was temporarily out
      of stock and he would faithfully promise to call again at some future
      date, but of course he never did.<br />
      How Harry managed to keep a straight face during these performances is
      quite beyond me.<br />
      Harry does not need to be prompted to explain how he bought his precious
      bottle of mud.<br />
      One day, he went to an exclusive shop in London and asked for
      'Myrolite'.<br />
      The shop assistant looked puzzled and Harry repeated the word, slowly
      stressing each syllable.<br />
      When the girl shook her head in bewilderment, Harry went on to explain
      that 'myrolite' was a hard, amber-like substance which could be used to
      remove freckles.<br />
      This explanation evidently conveyed something to the girl who searched
      shelf after shelf.<br />
      She produced all sorts of weird concoctions, but none of them met with
      Harry's requirements.<br />
      When Harry put on his act of being mildly annoyed, the girl promised to
      order some for him.<br />
      Intoxicated by his success, Harry then asked for perfumed mud.<br />
      He expected the girl to look at him in blank astonishment.<br />
      However, it was his turn to be surprised, for the girl's eyes immediately
      lit up and she 'fetched several botties which she placed on the counter
      for Harry to inspect.<br />
      For once, Harry had to admit defeat.<br />
      He picked up what seemed to be the smallest bottle and discreetly asked
      the price.<br />
      He was glad to get away with a mere five guineas and he beat a hasty
      retreat, clutching the precious bottle under his arm.<br />
      From then on, Harry decided that this little game he had invented might
      prove to be expensive.<br />
      The curious bottle which now adorns the bookcase in his study was his
      first and last purchase of rare cosmetics.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 53 <br />
      In the public interestThe Scandinavian countries are much admired all over
      the world for their enlightened social policies.<br />
      Sweden has evolved an excellent system for protecting the individual
      citizen from high-handed or incompetent public officers.<br />
      The system has worked so well, that it has been adopted in other countries
      like Denmark, Norway, Finland, and New Zealand.<br />
      Even countries with large populations like Britain and the United States
      are seriously considering imitating the Swedes.<br />
      The Swedes were the first to recognize that public officials like civil
      servants, collectors can make mistakes or act over-zealously in the belief
      that they are serving the public.<br />
      As long ago as 1809, the Swedish Parliament introduced a scheme to
      safeguard the interest of the individual.<br />
      A parliamentary committee representing all political parties appoints a
      person who is suitably qualified to investigate private grievances against
      the State.<br />
      The official title of the person is 'Justiteombudsman', but the Swedes
      commonly refer to him as the 'J.<br />
      O.' <br />
      or 'Ombudsman'.<br />
      The Ombudsman is not subject to political pressure.<br />
      He investigates complaints large and small that come to him from all
      levels of society.<br />
      As complaints must be made in writing, the Ombudsman receives an average
      of 1200 letters a year.<br />
      He has eight lawyer assistants to help him and he examines every single
      letter in detail.<br />
      There is nothing secretive about the Ombudsman's work, for his
      correspondence is open to public inspection.<br />
      If a citizen's complaint is justified, the Ombudsman will act on his
      behalf.<br />
      The action he takes varies according to the nature of the complaint.<br />
      He may gently reprimand an official or even suggest to parliament that a
      law be altered.<br />
      The following case is a typical example of the Ombudsman's work.<br />
      A foreigner living in a Swedish village wrote to the Ombudsman complaining
      that he had been ill-treated by the police, simply because he was a
      foreigner.<br />
      The Ombudsman immediately wrote to the Chief of Police in the district
      asking him to send a record of the case.<br />
      There was nothing in the record to show that the foreigner's complaint was
      justified and the Chief of Police stoutly denied the accusation.<br />
      It was impossible for the Ombudsman to take action, but when he received a
      similar complaint from another foreigner in the same village, he
      immediately sent one of his lawyers to investigate the matter.<br />
      The lawyer ascertained that a policeman had indeed dealt roughly with
      foreigners on several occasions.<br />
      The fact that the policeman was prejudiced against foreigners could not be
      recorded in he official files.<br />
      It was only possible for the Ombudsman to find this out by sending one of
      his representatives to check the facts.<br />
      The policeman in question was severely reprimanded and was informed that
      if any further complaints were lodged against him, he would be
      prosecuted.<br />
      The Ombudsman's prompt action at once put an end to an unpleasant practice
      which might have gone unnoticed.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 54<br />
      Instinct or cleverness?<br />
      We have been brought up to fear insects.<br />
      We regard them as unnecessary creatures that do more harm than good.<br />
      Man continually wages war on item, for they contaminate his food, carry
      diseases, or devour his crops.<br />
      They sting or bite without provocation; they fly uninvited into our rooms
      on summer nights, or beat against our lighted windows.<br />
      We live in dread not only of unpleasant insects like spiders or wasps, but
      of quite harmless ones like moths.<br />
      Reading about them increases our understanding with out dispelling our
      fears.<br />
      Knowing that the industrious ant lives in a highlyorganized society does
      nothing to prevent us from being filled with revulsion when we find hordes
      of them crawling over a carefully prepared picnic lunch.<br />
      No matter how much we like honey, or how much we have read about the
      uncanny sense of direction which bees possess, we have a horror of being
      stung.<br />
      Most of our fears are unreasonable, but they are impossible to erase.<br />
      At the same time, however, insects are strangely fascinaing.<br />
      We enjoy reading about them, especially when we find that, like the
      praying mantis, they lead perfectly horrible lives.<br />
      We enjoy staring at them entranced as they go about their business,
      unaware (we hope) of our presence.<br />
      Who has not stood in awe at the sight of a spider pouncing on a fly, or a
      column of ants triumphantly bearing home an enormous dead beetle ?<br />
      Last summer I spent days in the garden watching thousands of ants crawling
      up the trunk of my prize peach tree.<br />
      The tree has grown against a warm wall on a sheltered side of the
      house.<br />
      I am especially proud of it, not only because it has survived several
      severe winters, but because it occasionally produces luscious peaches.<br />
      During the summer, I noticed that the leaves of the tree were beginning to
      wither.<br />
      Clusters of tiny insects called aphides were to be found on the underside
      of the leaves.<br />
      They were visited by a laop colony of ants which obtained a sort of honey
      from them.<br />
      I immediately embarked on an experiment which, even though it failed to
      get rid of the ants, kept me fascinated for twenty-four hours.<br />
      I bound the base of the tree with sticky tape , making it impossible for
      the ants to reach the aphides.<br />
      The tape was so sticky that they did not dare to cross it.<br />
      For a long time, I watched them scurrying around the base of the tree in
      bewilderment.<br />
      I even went out at midnight with a torch and noted with satisfaction (and
      surprise) that the ants were still swarming around the sticky tape without
      being able to do anything about it.<br />
      I got up early next morning hoping to find that the ants had given up in
      despair.<br />
      Instead, I saw that they had discovered a new route.<br />
      They were climbing up the wall of the house and then on to the leaves
      ofthe tree.<br />
      I realized sadly that I had been completely defeated by their
      ingenuity.<br />
      The ants had been quick to find an answer to my thoroughly unscientific
      methods!<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 55<br />
      From the earth: greatingsRadio astronomy has greatly increased our
      understanding of the universe.<br />
      Radio telescopes have one big advantage over conventional telescopes in
      that they can operate in all weather conditions and can pick up signals
      coming from very distant stars.<br />
      These signals are produced by colliding stars or nuclear reactions in
      outer space.<br />
      The most powerful signals that have been received have been emitted by
      what seem to be truly colossal stars which scientists have named
      'quasars'.<br />
      A better understanding of these phenomena may completely alter our
      conception of the nature of the universe.<br />
      The radio telescope at Jodrell Bank in England was for many years the
      largest in the world.<br />
      A new telescope, over twice the size, was recently built at Sugar Grove in
      West Virginia.<br />
      Astronomers no longer regard as fanciful the idea that they may one day
      pick up signals which have been sent by intelligent beings on other
      worlds.<br />
      This possibility gives rise to interesting speculations.<br />
      Highly advanced civilizations may have existed on other planets long
      before intelligent forms of life evolved on the earth.<br />
      Conversely, intelligent being which are just beginning to develop on
      remote worlds may be ready to pick up our signals in thousands of years'
      time, or when life on earth has become extinct.<br />
      Such speculations no longer belong to the realm of science fiction, for
      astronomers are now exploring the chances of communicating with living
      creatures (if they exist) on distant planets.<br />
      This undertaking which has been named Project Ozma was begun in 1960, but
      it may take a great many years before results are obtained.<br />
      Aware of the fact that it would be impossible to wait thousands or
      millions of years to receive an answer from a distant planet, scientists
      engaged in Project Ozma are concentrating their attention on stars which
      are relatively close.<br />
      One of the most likely stars is Tau Ceti which is eleven light years
      away.<br />
      If signals from the earth were received by intelligent creatures on a
      planet circling thisstar, we would have to wait twenty-two years for an
      answer.<br />
      The Green Bank telescope in West Virginia has been specially designed to
      distinguish between random signals and signals which might be in code.<br />
      Even if contact were eventually established, astronomers would not be able
      to rely on language to communicate with other beings.<br />
      They would use mathematics as this is theonly truly universal language.<br />
      Numbers have the same value anywhere.<br />
      For this reason, intelligent creatures in any part of the universe would
      be able to understand a simple arithmetical sequence.<br />
      They would be able to reply to our signals using similar methods.<br />
      The next step would be to try to develop means for sending television
      pictures.<br />
      A single picture would tell us more than thousands of words.<br />
      In an age when anything seems to be possible, it would be narrow-minded in
      the extreme to ridicule these attempts to find out if there is life in
      other parts of the universe.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 56<br />
      The river beside our farmThe river which forms the eastern boundary of our
      farm has always played an important part in our lives.<br />
      Without it we could not make a living.<br />
      There is only enough spring water to supply the needs of the house, so we
      have to pump from the river for farm use.<br />
      We tell the river all our secrets.<br />
      We know instinctively, just as beekeepers with their bees, that misfortune
      might overtake us if the important events of our lives were not related to
      it.<br />
      We have special river birthday parties in the summer.<br />
      Sometimes we go up-stream to a favourite backwater, some- times we have
      our party at the boathouse, which a predecessor of ours at the farm built
      in the meadow hard by the deepest pool for swimming and diving.<br />
      In a heat-wave we choose a midnight birthday party and that is the most
      exciting of all.<br />
      We welcome the seasons by the river- side, crowning the youngest girl with
      flowers in the spring, holding a summer festival on Midsummer Eve, giving
      thanks for the harvest in the autumn, and throwing a holly wreath into the
      current in the winter.<br />
      After a long period of rain the river may overflow its banks.<br />
      This is a rare occurrence as our climate seldom goes to extremes.<br />
      We are lucky in that only the lower fields, which make up a very small
      proportion of our farm, are affected by flooding, but other farms are less
      favourably sited, and flooding can sometimes spell disaster for their
      owners.<br />
      One bad winter we watched the river creep up the lower meadows.<br />
      All the cattle had been moved into stalls and we stood to lose little.<br />
      We were, however, worried about our nearest neighbours, whose farm was low
      lying and who were newcomers to the district.<br />
      As the floods had put the telephone out of order, we could not find out
      how they were managing.<br />
      From an attic window we could get a sweeping view of the river where their
      land joined ours, and at the most critical juncture we took turns in
      watching that point.<br />
      The first sign of disaster was a dead sheep floating down.<br />
      Next came a horse, swimming bravely, but we were afraid that the strength
      of the current would prevent its landing anywhere before it became
      exhausted.<br />
      Suddenly a raft appeared, looking rather like Noah's ark, carrying the
      whole family, a few hens, the dogs, a cat, and a bird in a cage.<br />
      We realized that they must have become unduly frightened by the rising
      flood, for their house, which had sound foundations, would have stood
      stoutly even if it had been almost submerged.<br />
      The men of our family waded down through our flooded meadows with
      boathooks, in the hope of being able to grapple a corner of the raft and
      pull it out of the current towards our bank.<br />
      We still think it a miracle that they were able to do so.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 57<br />
      The return of the nativeI stopped to let the car cool off and to study the
      map.<br />
      I had expected to be near my objective by now, but everything still seemed
      alien to me.<br />
      I was only five when my father had taken me abroad, and that was eighteen
      years ago.<br />
      When my mother had died after a tragic accident, he did not quickly
      recover from the shock and loneliness.<br />
      Everything around him was full of her presence, continually re-opening the
      wound.<br />
      So he decided to emigrate.<br />
      In the new country he became absorbed in making a new life for the two of
      us, so that he gradually ceased to grieve.<br />
      He did not marry again and I was brought up without a woman's care; but I
      lacked for nothing, for he was both father and mother to me.<br />
      He always meant to go back one day but not to stay.<br />
      His roots and mine had become too firmly embedded in the new land.<br />
      But he wanted to see the old folk again and to visit my mother's grave.<br />
      He became mortally ill a few months before we had planned to go and, when
      he knew that he was dying, he made me promise to go on my own.<br />
      I hired a car the day after landing and bought a comprehensive book of
      maps, which I found most helpful on the cross country journey, but which I
      did not think I should need on the last stage.<br />
      It was not that I actually remembered anything at all.<br />
      But my father had described over and over again what we should see at
      every milestone, after leaving the nearest town, so that I was positive I
      should recognize it as familiar territory.<br />
      Well, I had been wrong, for I was now lost.<br />
      I looked at the map and then at the milometer.<br />
      I had come ten miles since leaving the town, and at this point, according
      to my father, I should be looking at farms and cottages in a valley, with
      the spire of the church of our village showing in the far distance.<br />
      I could see no valley, no farms, no cottages and no church spire--only a
      lake.<br />
      I decided that I must have taken a wrong turning somewhere.<br />
      So I drove back to the town and began to retrace the route, taking
      frequent glances at the map.<br />
      I landed up at the same corner.<br />
      The curious thing was that the lake was not marked on the map.<br />
      I felt as if I had stumbled into a nightmare country, as you sometimes do
      in dreams.<br />
      And, as in a nightmare, there was nobody in sight to help me.<br />
      Fortunately for me, as I was wondering what to do next, there appeared on
      the horizon a man on horseback, riding in my direction.<br />
      I waited till he came near, then I asked him the way to our old
      village.<br />
      He said that there was now no village.<br />
      I thought he must have misunderstood me.<br />
      so I repeated its name.<br />
      This time he pointed to the lake.<br />
      The village no longer existed because it had been submerged, and all the
      valley too.<br />
      The lake was not a natural one, but a man made reservoir.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 58<br />
      A little spot of botherThe old lady was glad to be back at the block of
      flats where she lived.<br />
      Her shopping had tired her and her basket had grown heavier with every
      step of the way home.<br />
      In the lift her thoughts were on lunch and a good rest; but when she got
      out at her own floor, both were forgotten in her sudden discovery that her
      front door was open.<br />
      She was thinking that she must reprimand her daily maid the next morning
      for such a monstrous piece of negligence, when she remembered that she had
      gone shopping after the maid had left and she knew that she had turned
      both keys in their locks.<br />
      She walked slowly into the hall and at once noticed that all the room
      doors were open, yet following her regular practice she had shut them
      before going out.<br />
      Looking into the drawing room, she saw a scene of confusion over by her
      writing desk.<br />
      It was as clear as daylight then that burglars had forced an entry during
      her absence.<br />
      Her first impulse was to go round all the rooms looking for the thieves,
      but then she decided that at her age it might be more prudent to have
      someone with her, so she went to fetch the porter from his basement.<br />
      By this time her legs were beginning to tremble, so she sat down and
      accepted a cup of very strong tea, while he telephoned the police.<br />
      Then, her composure regained, she was ready to set off with the porter's
      assistance tosearch for any intruders who might still be lurking in her
      flat.<br />
      They went through the rooms, being careful to touch nothing, as they did
      not want to hinder the police in their search for fingerprints.<br />
      The chaos was inconceivable.<br />
      She had lived in the flat for thirty years and was a veritable magpie at
      hoarding; and it seemed as though everything she possessed had been tossed
      out and turned over and over.<br />
      At least sorting out the things she should have discarded years ago was
      now being made easier for her.<br />
      Then a police inspector arrived with a constable and she told them of her
      discovery of the ransacked flat.<br />
      The inspector began to look for fingerprints, while the constable checked
      that the front door locks had not been forced, therebyproving that the
      burglars had either used skeleton keys or entered over the balcony.<br />
      There was no trace of fingerprints, but the inspector found a dirty red
      bundle that contained jewellery which the old lady said was not hers.<br />
      So their entry into this flat was apparently not the burglars' first job
      that day and they must have been disturbed.<br />
      The inspector then asked the old lady to try to check what was missing by
      the next day and advised her not to stay alone in the flat for a few
      nights.<br />
      The old lady thought he was a fussy creature, but since the porter agreed
      with him, she rang up her daughter and asked for her help in what she
      described as a little spot of bother.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 59<br />
      Possession amassing and collectingPeople tend to amass possessions,
      some-times without being aware of doing so.<br />
      Indeed they can have a delightful surprise when they find something useful
      which they did not know they owned.<br />
      Those who never have to change house become indiscriminate collectors of
      what can only be described as clutter.<br />
      They leave un- wanted objects in drawers, cupboards and attics for years,
      in the belief that they may one day need just those very things.<br />
      As they grow old, people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons,
      lack of physical and mental energy, both of which are essential in turning
      out and throwing away, and sentiment.<br />
      Things owned for a long time are full of associations with the past,
      perhaps with relatives who are dead, and so they gradually acquire a value
      beyond their true worth.<br />
      Some things are collected deliberately in the home in an attempt to avoid
      waste.<br />
      Among these I would list string and brown paper, kept by thrifty people
      when a parcel has been opened, to save buying these two requisites.<br />
      Collecting small items can easily become a mania.<br />
      I know someone who always cuts out from newspapers sketches of model
      clothes that she would like to buy, if she had the money.<br />
      As she is not rich, the chances that she will ever be able to afford such
      purchases are remote; but she is never sufficiently strongrminded to be
      able to stop the practice.<br />
      It is a harmless habit, but it litters up her desk to such an extent that
      every time she opens it, loose bits of paper fall out in every
      direction.<br />
      Collecting as a serious hobby is quite different and has many
      advantages.<br />
      It provides relaxation for leisure hours, as just looking at one's
      treasures is always a joy.<br />
      One does not have to go outside for amusement, since the collection is
      housed at home.<br />
      Whatever it consists of , stamps, records, first editions of books, china,
      glass, antique furniture, pictures, model cars, stuffed birds, toy
      animals,there is always something to do in connection with it, from
      finding the right place for the latest addition to verifying facts in
      reference books.<br />
      This hobby educates one not only in the chosen subject, but also in
      general matters which have some bearing on it.<br />
      There are also other benefits.<br />
      One wants to meet like-minded collectors, to get advice, to compare notes,
      to exchange articles, toshow off the latest find.<br />
      So one's circle of friends grows.<br />
      Soon the hobby leads to travel, perhaps to a meeting in another town,
      possibly a trip abroad in search of a rare specimen, for collectors are
      not confined to any one country.<br />
      Over the years one may well become an authority on one's hobby and will
      very probably be asked to give informal talks to little gatherings and
      then, if successful, to larger audiences.<br />
      In this way self-confidence grows, first from mastering a subject, then
      from being able to talk about it.<br />
      Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person
      contented, with no time for boredom.<br />
      <br />
      Book III Lesson 60<br />
      The importance of PunctualityPunctuality is a necessary habit in all
      public affairs of a civilized society.<br />
      Without it, nothing could ever be brought to a conclusion; everything
      would be in a state of chaos.<br />
      Only in a sparsely- populated rural community is it possible to disregard
      it.<br />
      In ordinary living there can be some tolerance of unpunctuality.<br />
      The intellectual, who is working on some abstruse problem, has everything
      coordinated and organized for the matter in hand.<br />
      He is therefore forgiven, if late for a dinner party.<br />
      But people are often reproached for unpunctuality when their only fault is
      cutting things fine.<br />
      It is hard for energetic, quick-minded people to waste time, so they are
      often tempted to finish a job before setting out to keep an
      appointment.<br />
      If no accidents occur on the way, like punctured tyres, diversions of
      traffic, sudden descent of fog, they will be on time.<br />
      They are often more industrious, useful citizens than those who are never
      late.<br />
      The over-punctual can be as much a trial to others as the unpunctual.<br />
      The guest who arrives half an hour too soon is the greatest nuisance.<br />
      Some friends of my family had this irritating habit.<br />
      The only thing to do was ask them to come half an hour later than the
      other guests.<br />
      Then they arrived just when we wanted them.<br />
      <br />
      If you are catching a train, it is always better to be comfortably early
      than even a fraction of a minute too late.<br />
      Although being early may mean wasting a little time, this will be less
      than if you miss the train and have to wait an hour or more for the next
      one; and you avoid the frustration of arriving at the very moment when the
      train is drawing out of the station and being unable to get onit.<br />
      An even harder situation is to be on the platform in good time for a train
      and still to see it go off without you.<br />
      Such an experience befell a certain young girl the first time she was
      travelling alone.<br />
      She entered the station twenty minutes before the train was due, since her
      parents had impressed upon her that it would be unforgivable to miss it
      and cause the friends with whom she was going to stay to make two journeys
      to meet her.<br />
      She gave her luggage to a porter and showed him her ticket.<br />
      To her horror he said that she was two hours too soon.<br />
      She felt in her handbag for the piece of paper on which her father had
      written down all the details of the journey and give it to the porter.<br />
      He agreed that a train did come into the station at the time on the paper
      and that it did stop, but only to take on water, not passengers.<br />
      The girl asked to see a timetable, feeling sure that her father could not
      have made such a mistake.<br />
      The porter went to fetch one and arrived back with the stationmaster, who
      produced it with a flourish and pointed out a microscopic 'o' beside the
      time of the arrival of the train at his station; this little 'o' indicated
      that the train only stopped for water.<br />
      Just as that moment the train came into the station.<br />
      The girl, tears streaming down her face, begged to be allowed to slip into
      the guard's van.<br />
      But the stationmaster was adamant: rules could not be broken.<br />
      And she had to watch that train disappear towards her destination while
      she was left behind.<br />
      Book IV Lesson 1<br />
      We can read of things that happened 5,000 years ago in the Near East,
      where people first learned to write.<br />
      But there are some parts of the world where even now people cannot
      write.<br />
      The only way that they can preserve their history is to recount it as
      sagas--legends handed down from one generation of story-tellers to
      another.<br />
      These legends are useful because they can tell us something about
      migrations of people who lived long ago, but none could write down what
      they did.<br />
      Anthropologists wondered where the remote ancestors of the Polynesian
      peoples now living in the Pacific Islands came from.<br />
      The sagas of these people explain that some of them came from Indonesia
      about 2,000 years ago.<br />
      But the first people who were like ourselves lived so long ago that even
      their sagas, if they had any, are forgotten.<br />
      So archaeologists have neither history nor legends to help them to find
      out where the first 'modern men' came from.<br />
      Fortunately, however, ancient men made tools of stone, especially flint,
      because this is easier to shape than other kinds.<br />
      They may also have used wood and skins, but these have rotted away.<br />
      Stone does not decay, and so the tools of long ago have remained when even
      the bones of the men who made them have disappeared without trace.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 2<br />
      Why, you may wonder, should spiders be our friends ?<br />
      Because they destroy so many insects, and insects include some of the
      greatest enemies of the human race.<br />
      Insects would make it impossible for us to live in the world; they would
      devour all our crops and kill our flocks and herds, if it were not for the
      protection we get from insect-eating animals.<br />
      We owe a lot to the birds and beasts who eat insects but all of them put
      together kill only a fraction of the number destroyed by spiders.<br />
      Moreover, unlike some of the other insect eaters, spiders never do the
      least harm to us or our belongings.<br />
      Spiders are not insects, as many people think, nor even nearly related to
      them.<br />
      One can tell the difference almost at a glance for a spider always has
      eight legs and an insect never more than six.<br />
      How many spiders are engaged in this work on our behalf ?<br />
      One authority on spiders made a census of the spiders in a grass field in
      the south of England, and he estimated that there were more than 2,250,000
      in one acre, that is something like 6,000,000 spiders of different kinds
      on a football pitch.<br />
      Spiders are busy for at least half the year in killing insects.<br />
      It is impossible to make more than the wildest guess at how many they
      kill, but they are hungry creatures, not content with only three meals a
      day.<br />
      It has been estimated that the weight of all the insects destroyed by
      spiders in Britain in one year would be greater than the total weight of
      all the human beings in the country.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 3<br />
      Modern alpinists try to climb mountains by a route which will give them
      good sport, and the more difficult it is, the more highly it is
      regarded.<br />
      In the pioneering days, however, this was not the case at all.<br />
      The early climbers were looking for the easiest way to the top because the
      summit was the prize they sought, especially if it had never been attained
      before.<br />
      It is true that during their explorations they often faced difficulties
      and dangers of the most perilous nature, equipped in a manner which would
      make a modern climber shudder at the thought, but they did not go out of
      their way to court such excitement.<br />
      They had a single aim, a solitary goal--the top!<br />
      It is hard for us to realize nowadays how difficult it was for the
      pioneers.<br />
      Except for one or two places such as Zermatt and Chamonix, which had
      rapidly become popular, Alpine villages tended to be impoverished
      settlements cut off from civilization by the high mountains.<br />
      Such inns as there were were generally dirty and flea-ridden; the food
      simply local cheese accompanied by bread often twelve months old, all
      washed down with coarse wine.<br />
      Often a valley boasted no inn at all, and climbers found shelter wherever
      they could--sometimes with the local priest (who was usually as poor as
      his parishioners), sometimes with shepherds or cheese-makers.<br />
      Invariably the background was the same: dirt and poverty, and very
      uncomfortable.<br />
      For men accustomed to eating seven-course dinners and sleeping between
      fine linen sheets at home, the change to the Alpsmust have been very hard
      indeed.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 4<br />
      In the Soviet Union several cases have been reported recently of people
      who can read and detect colours with their fingers, and even see through
      solid doors and walls.<br />
      One case concerns an 'eleven-year-old schoolgirl, Vera Petrova, who has
      normal vision but who can also perceive things with different parts of her
      skin, and through solid walls.<br />
      This ability was first noticed by her father.<br />
      One day she came into his office and happened to put her hands on the door
      of a locked safe.<br />
      Suddenly she asked her father why he kept so many old newspapers locked
      away there, and even described the way they were done up in bundles.<br />
      Vera's curious talent was brought to the notice of a scientific research
      institute in the town of UIyanovsk, near where she lives, and in April she
      was given a series of tests by a special commission of the Ministry of
      Health of the Russian Federal Republic.<br />
      During these tests she was able to read a newspaper through an opaque
      screen and, stranger still, by moving her elbow over a child's game of
      Lotto she was able to describe the figures and colours printed on it; and,
      in another instance, wearing stockings and slippers, to make out with her
      foot the outlines and colours of a picture hidden under a carpet.<br />
      Other experiments showed that her knees and shoulders had a similar
      sensitivity.<br />
      During all these tests Vera was blindfold; and, indeed, except when
      blindfold she lacked the ability to perceive things with her skin.<br />
      It was also found that although she could perceive things with her fingers
      this ability ceased the moment her hands were wet.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 5<br />
      The gorilla is something of a paradox in the African scene.<br />
      One thinks one knows him very well.<br />
      For a hundred years or more he has been killed, captured, and imprisoned,
      in zoos.<br />
      His bones have been mounted in natural history museums everywhere, and he
      has always exerted a strong fascination upon scientists and romantics
      alike.<br />
      He is the stereotyped monster of the horror films and the adventure books,
      and an obvious (though not perhaps strictly scientific) linkwith our
      ancestral past.<br />
      Yet the fact is we know very little about gorillas.<br />
      No really satisfactory photograph has ever been taken of one in a wild
      state, no zoologist, however intrepid, has been able to keep the animal
      under close and constant observation in the dark jungles in which he
      lives.<br />
      Carl Akeley, the American naturalist, led two expeditions in the
      nineteen-twenties, and now lies buried among the animals heloved so
      well.<br />
      But even he was unable to discover how long the gorilla lives, or how or
      why it dies, nor was he able to define the exact social pattern of the
      family groups, or indicate the final extent of their intelligence.<br />
      All this and many other things remain almost as much a mystery as they
      were when the French explorer Du Chaillu first described the animal to the
      civilized world a century ago.<br />
      The Abominable Snowman who haunts the imagination of climbers in the
      Himalayas is hardly more elusive.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 6<br />
      People are always talking about' the problem of youth '.<br />
      If there is one-which I take leave to doubt--then it is older people who
      create it, not the young themselves.<br />
      Let us get down to fundamentals and agree that the young are after all
      human beings--people just like their elders.<br />
      There is only one difference between an old man and a young one: the young
      man has a glorious future before him and the old one has a splendid future
      behind him: and maybe that is where the rub is.<br />
      When I was a teenager, I felt that I was just young and uncertain--that I
      was a new boy in a huge school, and I would have been very pleased to be
      regarded as something so interesting as a problem.<br />
      For one thing, being a problem gives you a certain identity, and that is
      one of the things the young are busily engaged in seeking.<br />
      I find young people exciting.<br />
      They have an air of freedom, and they have not a dreary commitment to mean
      ambitions or love of comfort.<br />
      They are not anxious social climbers, and they have no devotion to
      material things.<br />
      All this seems to me to link them with life, and the origins of things.<br />
      It's as if they were in some sense cosmic beings in violent and lovely
      contrast with us suburban creatures.<br />
      All that is in my mind when I meet a young person.<br />
      He may be conceited, ill- mannered, presumptuous of fatuous, but I do not
      turn for protection to dreary cliches about respect for elders--as if mere
      age were a reason for respect.<br />
      I accept that we are equals, and I will argue with him, as an equal, if I
      think he is wrong.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 7<br />
      I am always amazed when I hear people saying that sport creates goodwill
      between the nations, and that if only the common peoples of the world
      could meet one another at football or cricket, they would have no
      inclination to meet on the battlefield.<br />
      Even if one didn't know from concrete examples (the 1936 Olympic Games,
      for instance) that international sporting contests lead to orgies of
      hatred, one could deduce it from general principles.<br />
      Nearly all the sports practised nowadays are competitive.<br />
      You play to win, and the game has little meaning unless you do your utmost
      to win.<br />
      On the village green, where you pick up sides and no feeling of local
      patriotism is involved, it is possible to play simply for the fun and
      exercise: but as soon as the question of prestige arises, as soon as you
      feel that you and some larger unit will be disgraced if you lose, the most
      savage combative instincts are aroused.<br />
      Anyone who has played even in a school football match knows this.<br />
      At the international level sport is frankly mimic warfare.<br />
      But the significant thing is not the behaviour of the players but the
      attitude of the spectators: and, behind the spectators, of the nations.<br />
      who work themselves into furies over these absurd contests, and seriously
      believe--at any rate for short periods--that running, jumping and kicking
      a ball are tests of national virtue.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 8<br />
      Parents have to do much less for their children today than they used to
      do, and home has become much less of a workshop.<br />
      Clothes can be bought ready made, washing can go to the laundry, food can
      be bought cooked, canned or preserved, bread is baked and delivered by the
      baker, milk arrives on the doorstep, meals can be had at the restaurant,
      the works' canteen, and the school dining-room.<br />
      It is unusual now for father to pursue his trade or other employment at
      home, and his children rarely, if ever, see him at his place of work.<br />
      Boys are therefore seldom trained to follow their father's occupation, and
      in many towns they have a fairly wide choice of employment and so do
      girls.<br />
      The young wage-earner often earns good money, and soon acquires a feeling
      of economic independence.<br />
      In textile areas it has long been customary for mothers to go out to work,
      but thispractice has become so widespread that the working mother is now a
      not unusual factor in a child's home life, the number of married women in
      employment having more than doubled in the last twenty-five years.<br />
      With mother earning and his older children drawing substantial wages
      father is seldom the dominant figure that he still was at the beginning of
      the century.<br />
      When mother workseconomic advantages accrue, but children lose something
      of great value if mother's employment prevents her from being home to
      greet them when they return from school.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 9<br />
      Not all sounds made by animals serve as language, and we have only to turn
      to that extraordinary discovery of echo-location in bats to see a case in
      which the voice plays a strictly utilitarian role.<br />
      To get a full appreciation of what this means we must turn first to some
      recent human inventions.<br />
      Everyone knows that if he shouts in the vicinity of a wall or a
      mountainside, an echo will come back.<br />
      The further off this solid obstruction the longer time will elapse for the
      return of the echo.<br />
      A sound made by tapping on the hull of a ship will be reflected from the
      sea bottom, and by measuring the time interval between the taps and the
      receipt of the echoes the depth of the sea at that point can be
      calculated.<br />
      So was born the echo-sounding apparatus, now in general use in ships.<br />
      Every solid object will reflect a sound, varying ac- cording to the size
      and nature of the object.<br />
      A shoal of fish will do this.<br />
      So it is a comparatively simple step from locating the sea bottom to
      locating a shoal of fish.<br />
      With experience, and with improved apparatus, it is now possible not only
      to locate a shoal but to tell if it is herring, cod, or other well-known
      fish, by the pattern of its echo .<br />
      A few years ago it was found that certain bats emit squeaks and by
      receiving the echoes they could locate and steer clear of obstacles--or
      locate flying insects on which they feed.<br />
      This echo-location in bats is often compared with radar, the principle of
      which is similar.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 10<br />
      In our new society there is a growing dislike of original, creative
      men.<br />
      The manipulated do not understand them; the manipulators fear them.<br />
      The tidy committee men regard them with horror, knowing that no
      pigeonholes can be found for them.<br />
      We could do with a few original, creative men in our political life-if
      only to create some enthusiasm, release some energy--but where are
      they?<br />
      We are asked to choose between various shades of the negative.<br />
      The engine is falling to pieces while the joint owners of the car argue
      whether the footbrake or the handbrake should be applied.<br />
      Notice how the cold, colourless men, without ideas and with no other
      passion but a craving for success, get on in this society, capturing one
      plum after another and taking the juice and taste out of them.<br />
      Sometimes you might think the machines we worship make all the chief
      appointments, promoting the human beings who seem closest to them.<br />
      Between mid-night and dawn, when sleep will not come and all the old
      wounds begin to ache, I often have a nightmare vision of a future world in
      which there are billions of people, all numbered and registered, with not
      a gleam of genius anywhere, not an original mind, a rich personality, on
      the whole packed globe.<br />
      The twin ideals of our time, organization and quantity, will have won for
      ever.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 11<br />
      Alfred the Great acted as his own spy, visiting Danish camps disguised as
      a minstrel.<br />
      In those days wandering minstrels were welcome everywhere.<br />
      They were not fighting men, and their harp was their passport.<br />
      Alfred had learned many of their ballads in his youth, and could vary his
      programme with acrobatic tricks and simple conjuring.<br />
      While Alfred's little army slowly began to gather at Athelney, the king
      himself set out to penetrate the camp of Guthrum, the commander of the
      Danish invaders.<br />
      These had settled down for the winter at Chippenham: thither Alfred
      went.<br />
      He noticed at once that discipline was slack: the Danes had the
      self-confidence of conquerors, and their security precautions were
      casual.<br />
      They lived well, on the proceeds of raids on neighbouring regions.<br />
      There they collected women as well as food and drink, and a life of ease
      had made them soft.<br />
      Alfred stayed in the camp a week before he returned to Athelney.<br />
      The force there assembled was trivial compared with the Danish horde.<br />
      But Alfred had deduced that the Danes were no longer fit for prolonged
      battle: and that their commissariat had no organization, but depended on
      irregular raids.<br />
      So, faced with the Danish advance, Alfred did not risk open battle but
      harried the enemy.<br />
      He was constantly on the move, drawing the Danes after him.<br />
      His patrols halted the raiding parties: hunger assailed the Danish
      army.<br />
      Now Alfred began a long series of skirmishes--and within a month the Danes
      had surrendered.<br />
      The episode could reasonably serve as a unique epic of royal espionage!<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 12<br />
      What characterizes almost all Hollywood pictures is their inner
      emptiness.<br />
      This is compensated for by an outer impressiveness.<br />
      Such impressiveness usually takes the form of truly grandiose realism.<br />
      Nothing is spared to make the setting, the costumes, all of the surface
      details correct.<br />
      These efforts help to mask the essential emptiness of the
      characterization, and the absurdities and trivialities of the plots.<br />
      The houses look like houses, the streets look like streets; the people
      look and talk like people; but they are empty of humanity, credibility,
      and motivation.<br />
      Needless to say, the disgraceful censorship code is an important factor in
      predetermining the content of these pictures.<br />
      But the code does not disturb the profits, nor the entertainment value of
      the films; it merely helps to prevent them from being credible.<br />
      It isn't too heavy a burden for the industry to bear.<br />
      In addition to the impressiveness of the settings, there is a use of the
      camera, which at times seems magical.<br />
      But of what human import is all this skill, all this effort, all this
      energy in the production of effects, when the story, the representation of
      life is hollow, stupid, banal, childish ?<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 13<br />
      Oxford has been ruined by the motor industry.<br />
      The peace which Oxford once knew, and which a great university city should
      always have, has been swept ruthlessly away; and no benefactions and
      research endowments can make up for the change in character which the city
      has suffered.<br />
      At six in the morning the old courts shake to the roar of buses taking the
      next shift to Cowley and Pressed Steel, great lorries with a double deck
      cargo of cars for export lumber past Magdalen and the University
      Church.<br />
      Loads of motor-engines are hurried hither and thither and the streets are
      thronged with a population which has no interest in learning and knows no
      studies beyond servo-systems and distributors, compression ratios and
      camshafts.<br />
      Theoretically the marriage of an old seat of learning and tradition with a
      new and wealthy industry might be expected to produce some interesting
      children.<br />
      It might have been thought that the culture of the university would
      radiate out and transform the lives of the workers.<br />
      That this has not happened may be the fault of the university, for at both
      Oxford and Cambridge the colleges tend tolive in an era which is certainly
      not of the twentieth century, and upon a planet which bears little
      resemblance to the war-torn Earth.<br />
      Wherever the fault may lie the fact remains that it is the theatre at
      Oxford and not at Cambridge which is on the verge of extinction, and the
      only fruit of the combination of industry and the rarefied atmosphere of
      learning is the dust in the streets, and a pathetic sense of being lost
      which hangs over some of the colleges.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 14<br />
      Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death.<br />
      In the young there is a justification for this feeling.<br />
      Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in battle may
      justifiably feel bitter in the thought that they have been cheated of the
      best things that life has to offer.<br />
      But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows, and has achieved
      whatever work it was in him to do, the fear of death is somewhat abject
      and ignoble.<br />
      The best way to overcome it- so at least it seems to me----is to make your
      interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls
      of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the
      universal life.<br />
      An individual human existence should be like a river--small at first,
      narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past
      boulders and over waterfalls.<br />
      Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more
      quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in
      the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being.<br />
      The man who, in old age, can see his life in this way, will not suffer
      from the fear of death, since the things he cares for will continue.<br />
      And it, with the decay of vitality, weariness increases, the thought of
      rest will be not unwelcome.<br />
      I should wish to die while still at work, knowing that others will carry
      on what I can no longer do, and content in the thought that what was
      possible has been done.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 15<br />
      When anyone opens a current account at a bank, he is lending the bank
      money, repayment of which he may demand at any time, either in cash or by
      drawing a cheque in favour of another person.<br />
      Primarily, the banker-customer relationship is that of debtor and
      creditor--who is which depending on whether the customer's account is in
      credit or is overdrawn.<br />
      But, in addition to that basically simple concept, the bank and its
      customer owe a large number of obligations to one another.<br />
      Many of these obligations can give rise to problems and complications but
      a bank customer, unlike, say, a buyer of goods, cannot complain that the
      law is loaded against him.<br />
      The bank must obey its customer's instructions, and not those of anyone
      else.<br />
      When, for example, a customer first opens an account, he instructs the
      bank to debit his account only in respect of cheques drawn by himself.<br />
      He gives the bank specimens of his signature, and there is a very firm
      rule that the bank has no right or authority to pay out a customer's money
      on a cheque on which its customer's signature has been forged.<br />
      It makes no difference that the forgery may have been a very skilful one:
      the bank must recognize its customer's signature.<br />
      For this reason there is no risk to the customer in the modern practice,
      adopted by some banks, of printing the customer's name on his cheques.<br />
      If this facilitates forgery it is the bank which will lose, not the
      customer.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 16<br />
      The deepest holes of all are made for oil, and they go down to as much as
      25,000 feet.<br />
      But we do not need to send men down to get the oil out, as we must with
      other mineral deposits.<br />
      The holes are only borings, less than a foot in diameter.<br />
      My particular experience is largely in oil, and the search for oil has
      done more to improve deep drilling than any other mining activity.<br />
      When it has been decided where we are going to drill, we put up at the
      surface an oil derrick.<br />
      It has to be tall because it is like a giant block and tackle, and we have
      to lower into the ground and haul out of the ground great lengths of drill
      pipe which are rotated by an engine at the top and are fitted with a
      cutting bit at the bottom.<br />
      The geologist needs to know what rocks the drill has reached, so every so
      often a sample is obtained with a coring bit.<br />
      It cuts a clean cylinder of rock, from which can be seen he strata the
      drill has been cutting through.<br />
      Once we get down to the oil, it usually flows to the surface because great
      pressure, either from gas or water, is pushing it.<br />
      This pressure must be under control, and we control it by means of the mud
      which we circulate down the drill pipe.<br />
      We endeavour to avoid the old, romantic idea of a gusher, which wastes oil
      and gas.<br />
      We want it to stay down the hole until we can lead it off in a controlled
      manner.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 17<br />
      The fact that we are not sure what 'intelligence' is, nor what is passed
      on, does not prevent us from finding it a very useful working concept, and
      placing a certain amount of reliance on tests which 'measure' it.<br />
      In an intelligence test we take a sample of an individual's ability to
      solve puzzles and problems of various kinds, and if we have taken a
      representative sample it will allow us to predict successfully the level
      of performance he will reach in a wide variety of occupations.<br />
      This became of particular importance when, as a result of the 1944
      Education Act, secondary schooling for all became law, and grammar
      schools, with the exception of a small number of independent foundation
      schools, became available to the whole population.<br />
      Since the number of grammar schools in the country could accommodate at
      most approximately 25 per cent of the total child population of
      eleven-plus, some kind of selection had to be made.<br />
      Narrowly academic examinations and tests were felt, quite rightly, to be
      heavily weighted in favour of children who had had the advantage of
      highly-academic primary schools and academically biased homes.<br />
      Intelligence tests were devised to counteract this narrow specialization,
      by introducing problems which were not based on specifically
      scholastically-acquired knowledge.<br />
      The intelligence test is an attempt to assess the general ability of any
      child to think, reason, judge, analyse and synthesize by presenting him
      with situations, both verbal and practical, which are within his range of
      competence and understanding.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 18<br />
      Two factors weigh heavily against the effectiveness of scientific in
      industry.<br />
      One is the general atmosphere of secrecy in which it is carried out, the
      other the lack of freedom of the individual research worker.<br />
      In so far as any inquiry is a secret one, it naturally limits all those
      engaged in carrying it out from effective contact with their fellow
      scientists either in other countries or in universities, or even , often
      enough , in other departments of the same firm.<br />
      The degree of secrecy naturally varies considerably.<br />
      Some of the bigger firms are engaged in researches which are of such
      general and fundamental nature that it is a positive advantage to them not
      to keep them secret.<br />
      Yet a great many processes depending on such research are sought for with
      complete secrecy until the stage at which patents can be taken out.<br />
      Even more processes are never patented at all but kept as secret
      processes.<br />
      This applies particularly to chemical industries, where chance discoveries
      play a much larger part than they do in physical and mechanical
      industries.<br />
      Sometimes the secrecy goes to such an extent that the whole nature of the
      research cannot be mentioned.<br />
      Many firms, for instance, have great difficulty in obtaining technical or
      scientific books from libraries because they are unwilling to have their
      names entered as having taken out such and such a book for fear the agents
      of other firms should be able to trace the kind of research they are
      likely to be undertaking.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 19<br />
      A gentleman is, rather than does.<br />
      He is interested in nothing in a professional way.<br />
      He is allowed to cultivate hobbies, even eccentricities, but must not
      practise a vocation.<br />
      He must know how to ride and shoot and cast a fly.<br />
      He should have relatives in the army and navy and at least one connection
      in the diplomatic service.<br />
      But there are weaknesses in the English gentleman's ability to rule us
      today.<br />
      He usually knows nothing of political economy and less about how foreign
      countries are governed.<br />
      He does not respect learning and prefers 'sport '.<br />
      The problem set for society is not the virtues of the type so much as its
      adequacy for its function, and here grave difficulties arise.<br />
      He refuses to consider sufficiently the wants of the customer, who must
      buy, not the thing he desires but the thing the English gentleman wants to
      sell.<br />
      He attends inadequately to technological development.<br />
      Disbelieving in the necessity of large-scale production in the modern
      world, he is passionately devoted to excessive secrecy, both in finance
      and method of production.<br />
      He has an incurable and widespread nepotism in appointment, discounting
      ability and relying upon a mystic entity called 'character,' which means,
      in a gentleman's mouth, the qualities he traditionally possesses
      himself.<br />
      His lack of imagination and the narrowness of his social loyalties have
      ranged against him one of the fundamental estates of the realm.<br />
      He is incapable of that imaginative realism which admits that this is a
      new world to which he must adjust himself and his institutions, that every
      privilege he formerly took as of right he can now attain only by offering
      proof that it is directly relevant to social welfare.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 20<br />
      In the organization of industrial life the influence of the factory upon
      the physiological and mental state of the workers has been completely
      neglected.<br />
      Modern industry is based on the conception of the maximum production at
      lowest cost, in order that an individual or a group of individuals may
      earn as much money as possible.<br />
      It has expanded without any idea of the true nature of the human beings
      who run the machines, and without giving any consideration to the effects
      produced on the individuals and on their descendants by the artificial
      mode of existence imposed by the factory.<br />
      The great cities have been built with no regard for us.<br />
      The shape and dimensions of the skyscrapers depend entirely on the
      necessity of obtaining the maximum income per square foot of ground, and
      of offering to the tenants offices and apartments that please them.<br />
      This caused the construction of gigantic buildings where too large masses
      of human beings are crowded together.<br />
      Civilized men like such a way of living.<br />
      While they enjoy the comfort and banal luxury of their dwelling, they do
      not realize that they are deprived of the necessities of life.<br />
      The modern city consists of monstrous edifices and of dark, narrow streets
      full of petrol fumes, coal dust, and toxic gases, torn by the noise of the
      taxi-cabs, lorries and buses, and thronged ceaselessly by great crowds.<br />
      Obviously, it has no been planned for the good of its inhabitants.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 21<br />
      In the early days of the settlement of Australia, enterprising settlers
      unwisely introduced the European rabbit.<br />
      This rabbit had no natural enemies in the Antipodes, so that it multiplied
      with that promiscuous abandon characteristic of rabbits.<br />
      It overran a whole continent.<br />
      It caused devastation by burrowing and by devouring the herbage which
      might have maintained millions of sheep and cattle.<br />
      Scientists discovered that this particular variety of rabbit (and
      apparently no other animal) was susceptible to a fatal virus disease,
      myxomatosis.<br />
      By infecting animals and letting them loose in the burrows, local
      epidemics of this disease could be created.<br />
      Later it was found that there was a type of mosquito which acted as the
      carrier of this disease and passed it on to the rabbits.<br />
      So while the rest of the world was trying to get rid of mosquitoes,
      Australia was encouraging this one.<br />
      It effectively spread the disease all over the continent and drastically
      reduced the rabbit population.<br />
      It later became apparent that rabbits were developing a degree of
      resistance to this disease, so that the rabbit population was unlikely to
      be completely exterminated.<br />
      There were hopes, however, that the problem of the rabbit would become
      manageable.<br />
      Ironically, Europe, which had bequeathed the rabbit as a pest to Australia
      acquired this man-made disease as a pestilence.<br />
      A French physician decided to get rid of the wild rabbits on his own
      estate and introduced myxomatosis.<br />
      It did not, however, remain within the confines of his estate.<br />
      It spread through France where wild rabbits are not generally regarded as
      a pest but as a sport and a useful food supply, and it spread to Britain
      where wild rabbits are regarded as a pest but where domesticated rabbits,
      equally susceptible to the disease, are the basis of a profitable fur
      industry.<br />
      The question became one of whether Man could control the disease he had
      invented.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 22<br />
      There has long been a superstition among mariners that porpoises will save
      drowning men by pushing them to the surface, or protect them from sharks
      by surrounding them in defensive formation.<br />
      Marine Studio biologists have pointed out that, however intelligent they
      may be, it is probably a mistake to credit dolphins with any motive of
      life-saving.<br />
      On the occasions when they have pushed to shore an unconscious human being
      they have much more likely done it out of curiosity or for sport, as in
      riding the bow waves of a ship.<br />
      In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push
      ashore a waterlogged mattress.<br />
      If, as has been reported, they have protected humans from sharks, it may
      have been because curiosity attracted them and because the scent of a
      possible meal attracted the sharks.<br />
      Porpoises and sharks are natural enemies.<br />
      It is possible that upon such an occasion a battle ensued, with the sharks
      being driven away or killed.<br />
      Whether it be bird, fish or beast, the porpoise is intrigued with anything
      that is alive.<br />
      They are constantly after the turtles, the Ferdinands of marine life, who
      peacefully submit to all sorts of indignities.<br />
      One young calf especially enjoyed raising a turtle to the surface with his
      snout and then shoving him across the tank like an aquaplane.<br />
      Almost any day a young porpoise may be seen trying to turn a 300-pound sea
      turtle over by sticking his snout under the edge of his shell and pushing
      up for dear life.<br />
      This is not easy, and may require two porpoises working together.<br />
      In another game, as the turtle swims across the oceanarium, the first
      porpoise swoops down from above and butts his shell with his belly.<br />
      This knocks the turtle down several feet.<br />
      He no sooner recovers his equilibrium than the next porpoise comes along
      and hits him another crack.<br />
      Eventually the turtle has been butted all the way down to the floor of the
      tank.<br />
      He is now satisfied merely to try to stand up, but as soon as he does so a
      porpoise knocks him flat.<br />
      The turtle at last gives up by pulling his feet under his shell and the
      game is over.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 23<br />
      It is fairly clear that the sleeping period must have some function, and
      because there is so much of it the function would seem to be important.<br />
      Speculations about its nature have been going on for literally thousands
      of years, and one odd finding that makes the problem puzzling is that it
      looks very much as if sleeping is not simply a matter of giving the body a
      rest.' <br />
      Rest ', in terms of muscle relaxation and so on, can be achieved by a
      brief period lying, or even sitting down.<br />
      The body's tissues are self-repairing and self-restoring to a degree, and
      function best when more or less continuously active.<br />
      In fact a basic amount of movement occurs during sleep which is
      specifically concerned with preventing muscle inactivity.<br />
      If it is not a question of resting the body, then perhaps it is the brain
      that needs resting?<br />
      This might be a plausible hypothesis were it not for two factors.<br />
      First the electroencephalograph (which is simply a device for recording
      the electrical activity of the brain by attaching electrodes to the scalp)
      shows that while there is a change in the pattern of activity during
      sleep, there is no evidence that the total amount of activity is any
      less.<br />
      The second factor is more interesting and more fundamental.<br />
      In l960 an American psychiatrist named William Dement published
      experiments dealing with the recording of eye-movements during sleep.<br />
      He showed that the average individual's sleep cycle is punctuated with
      peculiar bursts of eye-movements, some drifting and slow, others jerky and
      rapid.<br />
      People woken during these periods of eye-movements generally reported that
      they had been dreaming.<br />
      When woken at other times they reported no dreams.<br />
      If one group of people were disturbed from their eye-movement sleep for
      several nights on end, and another group were disturbed for an equal
      period of time but when they were not exhibiting eye-movements, the first
      group began to show some personality disorders while the others seemed
      more or less unaffected.<br />
      The implications of all this were that it was not the disturbance of sleep
      that mattered, but the disturbance of dreaming.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 24<br />
      Walking for walking' s sake may be as highly laudable and exemplary a
      thing as it is held to be by those who practise it.<br />
      My objection to it is that it stops the brain.<br />
      Many a man has professed to me that his brain never works so well as when
      he is swinging along the high road or over hill and dale This boast is not
      confirmed by my memory of anybody who on a Sunday morning has forced meto
      partake of his adventure.<br />
      Experience teaches me that whatever a fellow-guest may have of power to
      instruct or to amuse when he is sitting in a chair, or standing on a
      hearth-rug, quickly leaves him when he takes one out for a walk.<br />
      The ideas that come so thick and fast to him in any room, where are they
      now ?<br />
      where that encyclopaedic knowledge which he bore so lightly ?<br />
      where the kindling fancy that played like summer lightning over any topic
      that was started ?<br />
      The man's face that was so mobile is set now; gone is the light from his
      fine eyes.<br />
      He says that A (our host) is a thoroughly good fellow.<br />
      Fifty yards further on, he adds that A is one of the best fellows he has
      ever met.<br />
      We tramp another furlong or so and he says that Mrs A is a charming
      woman.<br />
      Presently he adds that she is one of the most charming women he has ever
      known.<br />
      We pass an inn.<br />
      He readsvapidly aloud to me: 'The King's Arms.<br />
      Licensed to sell Ales and Spirits.' <br />
      I foresee that during the rest of the walk he will read aloud any
      inscription that occurs.<br />
      We pass a milestone.<br />
      He points at it with his stick, and says' Uxminster.<br />
      II Miles.' <br />
      We turn a sharp corner at the foot of the hill.<br />
      He points at the wall, and says' Drive Slowly.' <br />
      .<br />
      I see far ahead, on the other side of the hedge bordering the high road, a
      small notice-board.<br />
      He sees it too.<br />
      He keeps his eye on it.<br />
      And in due course.<br />
      'Trespassers,' he says, 'will be Prosecuted.' <br />
      Poor man !<br />
      -mentally a wreck.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 25<br />
      How it came about that snakes manufactured poison is a mystery.<br />
      Over the periods their saliva, a mild, digestive juice like our own, was
      converted into a poison that defies analysis even today.<br />
      It was not forced upon them by the survival competition; they could have
      caught and lived on prey without using poison just as the thousands of
      non-poisonous snakes still do.<br />
      Poison to a snake is merely a luxury; it enables it to get its food with
      very little effort, no more effort than one bite.<br />
      And why only snakes ?<br />
      Cats, for instance, would be greatly helped; no running fights with large,
      fierce rats or tussles with grown rabbits- just a bite and no more effort
      needed.<br />
      In fact it would be an assistance to all the carnivorae--though it would
      be a two-edged weapon -When they fought each other.<br />
      But, of the vertebrates, unpredictable Nature selected only snakes (and
      one lizard).<br />
      One wonders also why Nature, with some snakes concocted poison of such
      extreme potency.<br />
      In the conversion of saliva into poison one might suppose that a fixed
      process took place.<br />
      It did not; some snakes manufactured a poison different in every respect
      from that of others, as different as arsenic is from strychnine, and
      having different effects.<br />
      One poison acts on the nerves, the other on the blood.<br />
      The makers of the nerve poison include the mambas and the cobras and their
      venom is called neurotoxic.<br />
      Vipers (adders) and rattlesnakes manufacture the blood poison, which is
      known as haemolytic.<br />
      Both poisons are unpleasant, but by far the more unpleasant is the blood
      poison.<br />
      It is said that the nerve poison is the more primitive of the two, that
      the blood poison is , so to speak, a newer product from an improved
      formula.<br />
      Be that as it may, the nerve poison does its business with man far more
      quickly than the blood poison.<br />
      This, however , means nothing.<br />
      Snakes did not acquire their poison for use against man but for use
      against prey such as rats and mice, and the effects on these of viperine
      poison is almost immediate.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 27<br />
      William S.<br />
      Hart was, perhaps, the greatest of all Western stars, for unlike Gary
      Cooper and John Wayne he appeared in nothing but Westerns.<br />
      From 1914 to 1924 he was supreme and unchallenged.<br />
      It was Hart who created the basic formula of the Western film, and devised
      the protagonist he played in every film he made, the good-bad man, the
      accidental, noble outlaw, or the honest but framed cowboy, or the sheriff
      made suspect by vicious gossip; in short, the individual in conflict with
      himself and his frontier environment.<br />
      Unlike most of his contemporaries in Hollywood, Hart actually 'knew
      something of the old West.<br />
      He had lived in it as a child when it was already disappearing, and his
      hero was firmly rooted in his memories and experiences, and in both the
      history and the mythology of the vanished frontier.<br />
      And although no period or place in American history has been more absurdly
      romanticized, myth and reality did join hands in at least one arena, the
      conflict between the individual and encroaching civilization.<br />
      Men accustomed to struggling for survival against the elements and Indian
      were bewildered by politicians, bankers and business-men, and unhorsed by
      fences, laws and alien taboos.<br />
      Hart's good-bad man was always an outsider, always one of the
      disinherited, and if he found it necessary to shoot a sheriff or rob a
      bank along the way, his early audiences found it easy to understand
      andforgive, especially when it was Hart who, in the end, overcame the
      attacking Indians.<br />
      Audiences in the second decade of the twentieth century found it pleasant
      to escape to a time when life, though hard, was relatively simple.<br />
      We still do; living in a world in which undeclared aggression, war,
      hypocrisy, chicanery, anarchy and impending immolation are part of our
      daily lives, we all want a code to live by.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 27<br />
      Why does the idea of progress loom so large in the modern world ?<br />
      Surely because progress of a particular kind is actually taking place
      around us and is becoming more and more manifest.<br />
      Although mankind has undergone no general improvement in intelligence or
      morality, it has made extraordinary progress in the accumulation of
      knowledge.<br />
      Knowledge began to increase as soon as the thoughts of one individual
      could be communicated to another by means of speech.<br />
      With the invention of writing, a great advance was made, for knowledge
      could then be not only communicated but also stored.<br />
      Libraries made education possible, and education in its turn added to
      libraries: the growth of knowledge followed a kind of compound-interest
      law, which was greatly enhanced by the invention of printing.<br />
      All this was comparatively slow until, with the coming science, the tempo
      was suddenly raised.<br />
      Then knowledge began to be accumulated according to a systematic plan.<br />
      The trickle became a stream; the stream has now become a torrent.<br />
      Moreover, as soon as new knowledge is acquired, it is now turned to
      practical account.<br />
      What is called 'modern civilization' is not the result of a balanced
      development of all man's nature, but of accumulated knowledge applied to
      practical life.<br />
      The problem now facing humanity is: What is going to be done with all this
      knowledge ?<br />
      As is so often pointed out, knowledge is a two-edged weapon which can be
      used equally for good or evil.<br />
      It is now being used indifferently for both.<br />
      Could any spectacle, for instance, be more grimly whimsical than that of
      gunners using science to shatter men's bodies while, close at hand,
      surgeons use it to restore them ?<br />
      We have to ask ourselves very seriously what will happen if this twofold
      use of knowledge, with its ever-increasing power, continues.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 28<br />
      No two sorts of birds practise quite the same sort of flight; the
      varieties are infinite, but two classes may be roughly seen.<br />
      Any ship that crosses the pacific is accompanied for many days by the
      smaller albatross, which may keep company with the vessel for an hour
      without visible or more than occasional movement of wing.<br />
      The currents of air that the walls of the ship direct upwards, as well as
      in the line of its course are enough to give the great bird with its
      immense wings sufficient sustenance and progress.<br />
      The albatross is the king of the gliders, the class of fliers which
      harness the air to their purpose, but must yield to its opposition.<br />
      In the contrary school the duck is supreme.<br />
      It comes nearer to the engines with which man has 'conquered' the air, as
      he boasts.<br />
      Duck, and like them the pigeons, are endowed with steel-like muscles, that
      are a good part of the weight of the bird, and these will ply the short
      wings with irresistible power that they can bore for long distances
      through an opposite gale before exhaustion follows.<br />
      Their humbler followers, such as partridges, have a like power of strong
      propulsion, but soon tire.<br />
      You may pick them up in utter exhaustion, if wind over the sea has driven
      them to a long journey.<br />
      The swallow shares the virtues of both schools in highest measure.<br />
      It tires not nor does it boast of its power; but belongs to the air,
      travelling it may be six thousand miles to and from its northern nesting
      home feeding its flown young as it flies and slipping through a medium
      that seems to help its passage even when the wind is adverse.<br />
      Such birds do us good, though we no longer take omens from their flight on
      this side and that, and even the most superstitious villagers no longer
      take off their hats to the magpie and wish it good-morning.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 29<br />
      A young man sees a sunset and, unable to understand or to express the
      emotion that it rouses in him, concludes that it must be the gateway to a
      world that lies beyond.<br />
      It is difficult for any of us in moments of intense aesthetic experience
      to resist the suggestion that we are catching a glimpse of a light that
      shines down to us from a different realm of existence, different and,
      because the experience is intensely moving, in some way higher.<br />
      And, though the gleams blind and dazzle, yet do they convey a hint of
      beauty and serenity greater than we have known or imagined.<br />
      Greater too than we can describe, for language, which was invented to
      convey the meanings of this world, cannot readily be fitted to the uses of
      another.<br />
      That all great art has this power of suggesting a world beyond is
      undeniable.<br />
      In some moods Nature shares it.<br />
      There is no sky in June so blue that it does not point forward to a bluer,
      no sunset so beautiful that it does not waken the vision of a greater
      beauty, a vision which passes before it is fully glimpsed, and in passing
      leaves an indefinable longing and regret.<br />
      But, if this world is not merely a bad joke, life a vulgar flare amid the
      cool radiance of the stars, and existence an empty laugh braying across
      the mysteries; if these intimations of a something behind and beyond are
      not evil humour born of indigestion, or whimsies sent by the devil to mock
      and madden us, if, in a word, beauty means something, yet we must not seek
      to interpret the meaning.<br />
      If we glimpse the unutterable, it is unwise to try to utter it, nor should
      we seek to invest with significance that whichwe cannot grasp.<br />
      Beauty in terms of our human meanings is meaningless.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 30<br />
      Each civilization is born, it culminates, and it decays.<br />
      There is a widespread testimony that this ominous fact is due to inherent
      biological defects in the crowded life of cities.<br />
      Now, slowly and at first faintly, an opposite tendency is showing
      itself.<br />
      Better roads and better vehicles at first induced the wealthier classes to
      live on the outskirts of the cities.<br />
      The urgent need for defence had also vanished.<br />
      This tendency is now spreading rapidly downwards.<br />
      But a new set of conditions is just showing itself.<br />
      Up to the present time, throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth
      centuries, this new tendency placed the home in the immediate suburbs, but
      concentrated manufacturing activity, business relations, government, and
      pleasure in the centres of the cities.<br />
      Apart from the care of children and periods of sheer rest, the active
      lives were spent in the cities.<br />
      In some ways the concentration of such activities was even more
      emphasized, and the homes were pushed outwards even at the cost of the
      discomfort of commuting.<br />
      But, if we examine the trend of technology during the past generation, the
      reasons for this concentration are largely disappearing.<br />
      Still more, the reasons for the choice of sites for cities are also
      altering.<br />
      Mechanical power can be transmitted for hundreds of miles, men can
      communicate almost instantaneously by telephone, the chiefs of great
      organizations can be transported by airplanes, the cinemas can produce
      plays in every village, music, speeches, and sermons can be broadcast.<br />
      Almost every reason for the growth of the cities, concurrently with the
      growth of civilization has been profoundly modified.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 31<br />
      Many people in industry and the Services, who have practical experience of
      noise, regard any investigation of this question as a waste of time; they
      are not prepared even to admit the possibility that noise affects
      people.<br />
      On the other hand, those who dislike noise will sometimes use most
      inadequate evidence to support their pleas for a quieter society.<br />
      This is a pity, because noise abatement really is a good cause.<br />
      and it is likely to be discredited if it gets to be associatedwith bad
      science .<br />
      One allegation often made is that noise produces mental illness.<br />
      A recent article in a weekly newspaper, for instance, was headed with a
      striking illustration of a lady in a state of considerable distress, with
      the caption 'She was yet another victim, reduced to a screaming wreck
      '.<br />
      On turning eagerly to the text, one learns that the lady was a typist who
      found the sound of office typewriters worried her more and more until
      eventually she had to go into a mental hospital.<br />
      Now the snag in this sort of anecdote is of course that one cannot
      distinguish cause and effect.<br />
      Was the noise a cause of the illness, or were the complaints about noise
      merely a symptom?<br />
      Another patient might equally well complain that her neigh-bours were
      combining to slander her and persecute her, and yet one might be cautious
      about believing this statement.<br />
      What is needed in the case of noise is a study of large numbers of people
      living under noisy conditions, to discover whether they are mentally ill
      more often than other people are.<br />
      The United States Navy, for instance, recently examined a very large
      number of men working on aircraft carriers: the study was known as Project
      Anehin.<br />
      It can be unpleasant to live even several miles from an aerodrome; if you
      think what it must be like to share the deck of a ship with several
      squadrons of jet aircraft, you will realize that a modern navy is a good
      place to study noise.<br />
      But neither psychiatric interviews nor objective tests were able to show
      any effects upon these American sailors.<br />
      This result merely confirms earlier American and British studies: if there
      is any effect of noise upon mental health it must be so small that present
      methods of psychiatric diagnosis cannot find it.<br />
      That does not prove that it does not exist; but it does mean that noise is
      less dangerous than, say, being brought up in an orphanages--which really
      is a mental health hazard.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 32<br />
      It is animals and plants which lived in or near water whose remains are
      most likely to be preserved, for one of the necessary conditions of
      preservation is quick burial, and it is only in the seas and rivers, and
      sometimes lakes, where mud and silt have been continuously deposited, that
      bodies and the like can be rapidly covered over and preserved.<br />
      But even in the most favourable circumstances only a small fraction of the
      creatures that die are preserved in this way before decay sets in or, even
      more likely, before scavengers eat them.<br />
      After all, all living creatures live by feeding on something else, whether
      it be plant or animal, dead or alive, and it is only by chance that such a
      fate is avoided.<br />
      The remains of plants and animals that lived on land are much more rarely
      preserved, for there is seldom anything to cover them over.<br />
      When you think of the innumerable birds that one sees flying about, not to
      mention the equally numerous small animals like field mice and voles which
      you do not see, it is very rarely that one comes across a dead body,
      except, of course, on the roads.<br />
      They decompose and are quickly destroyed by the weather or eaten by some
      other creature.<br />
      It is almost always due to some very special circumstances that traces of
      land animals survive, as by falling into inaccessible caves, or into an
      ice crevasse, like the Siberian mammoths, when the whole animal is
      sometimes preserved, as in a refrigerator.<br />
      This is what happened to the famous Beresovka mammoth which was found
      preserved and in good condition.<br />
      In his mouth were the remains of fir trees--the last meal that he had
      before he fell into the crevasse and broke his back.<br />
      The mammoth has now been restored in the Palaeontological Museum in
      Leningrad.<br />
      Other animals were trapped in tar pits, like the elephants, sabre-toothed
      cats, and numerous other creatures that are found at Rancho la Brea, which
      is now just a suburb of Los Angeles.<br />
      Apparently what happened was that water collected on these tar pits, and
      the bigger animals like the elephants ventured out on to the apparently
      firm surface to drink, and were promptly bogged in the tar.<br />
      And then, when they were dead, the carnivores, like the sabre-toothed cats
      and the giant wolves, came out to feed and suffered exactly the same
      fate.<br />
      There are also endless numbers of birds in the tar as well.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 33<br />
      From the seventeenth-century empire of Sweden, the story of a galleon that
      sank at the start of her maiden voyage in 1628 must be one of the
      strangest tales of the sea.<br />
      For nearly three and a half centuries she lay at the bottom of Stockholm
      harbour until her discovery in 1956.<br />
      This was the Vasa, royal flagship of the great imperial fleet.<br />
      King Gustavus Adolphus, 'The Northern Hurricane', then at the height of
      his military success in the Thirty Years' War, had dictated her
      measurements and armament.<br />
      Triple gun-decks mounted sixty-four bronze cannon.<br />
      She was intended to play a leading role in the growing might of Sweden.<br />
      As she was prepared for her maiden voyage on August 10, 1628, Stockholm
      was in a ferment.<br />
      From the Skeppsbron and surrounding islands the people watched this thing
      of beauty begin to spread her sails and catch the wind.<br />
      They had laboured for three years to produce this floating work of art;
      she was more richly carved and ornamented than any previous ship.<br />
      The high stern castle was a riot of carved gods, demons, knights, kings,
      warriors, mermaids, cherubs; and zoomorphi c animal shapes ablaze with red
      and gold and blue, symbols of courage, power, and cruelty, were portrayed
      to stir the imaginations of the superstitious sailors of the day.<br />
      Then the cannons of the anchored warships thundered a salute to which the
      Vasa fired in reply.<br />
      As she emerged from her drifting cloud of gun smoke with the water churned
      to foam beneath her bow, her flags flying, pennants waving, sails filling
      in the breeze, and the red and gold of her superstructure ablaze with
      colour, she presented a more majestic spectacle than Stockholmers had ever
      seen before.<br />
      All gun-ports were open and the muzzles peeped wickedly from them.<br />
      As the wind freshened there came a sudden squall and the ship made a
      strange movement, listing to port.<br />
      The Ordnance Officer ordered all the port cannon to be heaved to starboard
      to counteract the list, but the steepening angle of the decks
      increased.<br />
      Then the sound of rumbling thunder reached the watchers on the shore, as
      cargo, ballast, ammunition and 400 people went sliding and crashing down
      to the port side of the steeply listing ship.<br />
      The lower gun-ports were now below water and the inrush sealed the ship's
      fate.<br />
      In that first glorious hour, the mighty Vasa, which was intended to rule
      the Baltic, sank with all flags flying-in the harbour of her birth.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 34<br />
      This is a sceptical age, but although our faith in many of the things in
      which our forefathers fervently believed has weakened, our confidence in
      the curative properties of the bottle of medicine remains the same as
      theirs.<br />
      This modern faith in medicines is roved by the fact that the annual drug
      bill of the Health Services is mounting to astronomical figures and shows
      no signs at present of ceasing to rise.<br />
      The majority of the patients attending the medical out-patients
      departments of our hospitals feel that they have not received adequate
      treatment unless they are able to carry home with them some tangible
      remedy in the shape of a bottle of medicine, a box of pills, or a small
      jar of ointment, and the doctor in charge of the department is only too
      ready to provide them with these requirements.<br />
      There is no quicker method of disposing of patients than by giving them
      what they are asking for, and since most medical men in the Health
      Services are overworked and have little time for offering time-consuming
      and little-appreciated advice on such subjects as diet, right living, and
      the need for abandoning bad habits, etc.<br />
      , the bottle, the box, and the jar are almost always granted them.<br />
      Nor is it only the ignorant and ill-educated person who has such faith in
      the bottle of medicine, especially if it be wrapped in white paper and
      sealed with a dab of red sealing-wax by a clever chemist.<br />
      It is recounted of Thomas Carlyle that when he heard of the illness of his
      friend, Henry Taylor, he went off immediately to visit him, carrying with
      him in his pocket what remained of abottle of medicine formerly prescribed
      for an indisposition of Mrs Carlyle's.<br />
      Carlyle was entirely ignorant of what the bottle in his pocket contained,
      of the nature of the illness from which his friend was suffering, and of
      what had previously been wrong with his wife, but a medicine that had
      worked so well in one form of illness would surely be of equal benefit in
      another, and comforted by the thought of the help he was bringing to his
      friend, he hastened to Henry Taylor's house.<br />
      History does not relate whether his friend accepted his medical help, but
      in all probability he did.<br />
      The great advantage of taking medicine is that it makes no demands on the
      taker beyond that of putting up for a moment with a disgusting taste, and
      that is what all patients demand of their doctors-- to be cured at no
      inconvenience to themselves.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 35<br />
      Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century,
      the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft.<br />
      In 1953, a former electronics engineer in his fifties, Christopher
      Cockerell, who had turned to boat-building on the Norfolk Broads,
      suggested an idea on which he had been working for many years to the
      British Government and industrial circles.<br />
      It was the idea of supporting a craft on a' pad ', or cushion, of
      low-pressure air, ringed with a curtain of higher pressure air.<br />
      Ever since, people have had difficulty in deciding whether the craft
      should be ranged among ships, planes, or land vehicles--for it is
      something in between a boat and an aircraft.<br />
      As a shipbuilder, Cockerell was trying to find a solution to the problem
      of the wave resistance which wastes a good deal of a surface ship's power
      and limits its speed.<br />
      His answer was to lift the vessel out of the water by making it ride on a
      cushion of air, no more than one or two feet thick.<br />
      This is done by a great number of ring-shaped air jets on the bottom of
      the craft.<br />
      It 'flies', therefore, but it cannot fly higher--its action de- pends on
      the surface, water or ground, over which it rides.<br />
      The first tests on the Solent in 1959 caused a sensation.<br />
      The hovercraft travelled first over the water, then mounted the beach,
      climbed up the dunes, and sat down on a road.<br />
      Later it crossed the Channel, riding smoothly over the waves, which
      presented no problem.<br />
      Since that time, various types of hovercraft have appeared and taken up
      regular service--cruises on the Thames in London, for instance, have
      become an annual attraction.<br />
      But we are only at the beginning of a development that may transport
      net-sea and land transport.<br />
      Christopher Cockerell's craft can establish transport works in large areas
      with poor communications such as Africa or Australia; it can become a
      'flying fruit-bowl', carrying bananas from the plantations to the ports,
      giant hovercraft liners could span the Atlantic; and the railway of the
      future may well be the 'hovertrain', riding on its air cushion over a
      single rail, which it never touches, at speeds up to 300 m.<br />
      p.<br />
      h.<br />
      --the possibilities appear unlimited.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 36<br />
      Our knowledge of the oceans a hundred years ago was confined to the
      two-dimensional shape of the sea-surface and the hazards of navigation
      presented by the irregularities in depth of the shallow water close to the
      land.<br />
      The open sea was deep and mysterious, and anyone who gave more than a
      passing thought to the bottom confines of the oceans probably assumed that
      the sea-bed was flat.<br />
      Sir James Clark Ross had obtained a sounding of over 2,400 fathoms in 1836
      butit was not until 1800, when H.<br />
      M.<br />
      S.<br />
      Porcupine was put at the disposal of the Royal Society for several
      cruises, that a series of deep soundings was obtained in the Atlantic and
      the first samples were collected by dredging the bottom.<br />
      Shortly after this the famous H.<br />
      M.<br />
      S.<br />
      Challenger expedition established the study of the sea-floor as a subject
      worthy of the most qualified physicists and geologists.<br />
      A burst of activity associated with the laying of submarine cables soon
      confirmed the Challenger's observation that many parts of the ocean were
      two to three miles deep, and the existence of underwater features of
      considerable magnitude.<br />
      Today enough soundings are available to enable a relief map of the
      Atlantic to be drawn and we know something of the great variety of the
      sea-bed's topography.<br />
      Since the sea covers the greater part of the earth's surface it is quite
      reasonable to regard the sea-floor as the basic form of the crust of the
      earth, with superimposed upon it the continents, together with the islands
      and other featuresof the oceans.<br />
      The continents form rugged tablelands which stand nearly three miles above
      the floor of the open ocean.<br />
      From the shore-line out to a distance which may be anywhere from a few
      miles to a few hundred miles runs the gentle slope of the continental
      shelf, geologically part of the continents.<br />
      The real dividing-line between continents and oceans occurs at the foot of
      a steeper slope.<br />
      This continental slope usually starts at a place somewhere near the
      ice-fathom mark and in the course of a few hundred miles reaches the true
      ocean-floor at 2,500-3,000 fathoms.<br />
      The slope averages about 1 in 30, but contains steep, probably vertical,
      cliffs, and gentle sediment-covered terraces, and near its lower reaches
      there is a long tailing-off which is almost certainly the result of
      material transported out to deep water after being eroded from the
      continental masses.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 37<br />
      The Victorians, realizing that the greatest happiness accorded to man is
      that provided by a happy marriage, endeavoured to pretend that all their
      marriages were happy.<br />
      We, for our part, admitting the fact that no feat of intelligence and
      character is so exacting as that required of two people who desire to live
      permanently together on a basis of amity, are obsessed by the problem of
      how to render the basic facts of cohabitation simpler and more reasonable,
      in order that unhappy marriages may less frequently result.<br />
      The Victorians would have considered it 'painful' or 'unpleasant' were one
      to point out that only four marriages out of every ten are anything but
      forced servitudes.<br />
      We ourselves start from this very assumption and try to build from it a
      theory of more sensible relations between the sexes.<br />
      Of all forms of arrant untruthfulness Victorian optimism appears to me to
      have been the most cowardly and the most damaging.<br />
      Truth, therefore, is an attitude of the mind.<br />
      It is important, if one does not wish to inconvenience and to bore one's
      friends, not to tell lies.<br />
      But it is more important not to think lies, or to slide into those
      mechanical and untruthful habits of thought which are so pleasant and so
      easy as descents to mental ineptitude.<br />
      The victorian habit of mind (which I consider to have been a bad habit of
      mind) was unduly preoccupied by what was socially and morally
      convenient.<br />
      Convenience is, however, in all affairs of life, an execrable test of
      value.<br />
      One should have the courage to think uncomfortably, since it is only by
      rejecting the convenient that one can come to think the truth.<br />
      Not, after all, that there is any such thing as truth.<br />
      At best we can approach to some relative approximation.<br />
      On the other hand, there is surely such a thing as untruth.<br />
      One is generally aware when one has said something, or acted in some way
      which has left on other people an impression not strictly in accordance
      with the facts.<br />
      One is generally aware, also.<br />
      when one has thrust aside an inconvenient thought and slid into its place
      another thought which is convenient.<br />
      One's awareness in the former case is in general more acute than in the
      latter, since we are more on the look-out for the lies we utter than for
      those we merely think.<br />
      In fact, however, it is the untruthful thought which is the more vicious
      of the two.<br />
      Spoken lies are invariably tiresome and may actually be dishonest.<br />
      But continuous lying in the mind, a disease to which the Anglo-Saxon is
      peculiarly exposed, spells the destruction of human thought and
      character.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 38<br />
      Appreciation of sculpture depends upon the abi8lity to respond to form in
      three dimensions.<br />
      That is perhaps why sculpture has been described as the most difficult of
      all arts; certainly it is more difficult than the arts which involve
      appreciation of flat forms, shape in only two dimensions.<br />
      Many more people are 'form-blind' than colour-blind.<br />
      The child learning to see, first distinguishes only two-dimensional shape;
      it cannot judge distances, depths.<br />
      Later, for its personal safety and practical needs, it has to
      develop(partly by means of touch) the ability to judge roughly
      three-dimensional distances.<br />
      But having satisfied the requirements of practical necessity, most people
      go no further.<br />
      Though they may attain considerable accuracy in the perception of flat
      form, they do not make the further intellectual and emotional effort
      needed to comprehend form in its full spatial existence.<br />
      This is what the sculptor must do.<br />
      He must strive continually to think of , and use, form in its full spatial
      completeness.<br />
      He gets the solid shape, as it were, inside his head--he thinks of it,
      whatever its size, as if he were holding it completely enclosed in the
      hollow of his hand.<br />
      He mentally visualizes a complex form from all round itself; he knows
      while he looks at one side what the other side is like; he identifies
      himself with its centre of gravity, its mass, its weight; he realizes its
      volume, as the space that the shape displaces in the air.<br />
      And the sensitive observer of sculpture must also learn to feel shape
      simply as shape, not as description or reminiscence.<br />
      He must, for example, perceive an egg as a simple single solid shape,
      quite apart from its significance as food, or from the literary idea that
      it will become a bird.<br />
      And so with solids such as a shell, a nut, a plum, a pear, a tadpole, a
      mushroom, a mountain peak, a kidney, a carrot, a tree-trunk, a bird, a
      bud, a lark, a ladybird, a bulrush, a bone.<br />
      From these he can go on to appreciate more complex forms of combinations
      of several forms.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 39<br />
      In his own lifetime Galileo was the centre of violent controversy; but the
      scientific dust has long since settled, and today we can see even his
      famous clash with the Inquisition in something like its proper
      perspective.<br />
      But, in contrast, it is only in modern times that Galileo has become a
      problem child for historians of science.<br />
      The old view of Galileo was delightfully uncomplicated.<br />
      He was, above all, a man who experimented: who despised the prejudices and
      book learning of the Aristotelians, who put his questions to nature
      instead of to the ancients, and who drew his conclusions fearlessly.<br />
      He had been the first to turn a telescope to the sky, and he had seen
      there evidence enough to overthrow Aristotle and Ptolemy together.<br />
      He was the man who climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa and dropped various
      weights from the top, who rolled balls down inclined planes, and then
      generalized the results of his many experiments into the famous law of
      free fall.<br />
      But a closer study of the evidence, supported by a deeper sense of the
      period, and particularly by a new consciousness of the philosophical
      undercurrents in the scientific revolution, has profoundly modified this
      view of Galileo.<br />
      Today, although the old Galileo lives on in many popular writings, among
      historians of science a new and more sophisticated picture has emerged.<br />
      At the same time our sympathy for Balileo' s opponents has grown
      somewhat.<br />
      His telescopic observation are justly immortal; they aroused great
      interest at the time, they had important theoretical consequences, and
      they provided a striking demonstration of the potentialities hidden in
      instruments and apparatus.<br />
      But can we blame those who looked and failed to see what Galileo saw, if
      we remember that to use a telescope at the limit of its powers calls for
      long experience and intimate familiarity with one's instrument?<br />
      Was the philosopher who refused to look through Galileo's telescope more
      culpable than those who alleged that the spiral nebulae observed with Lord
      Rosse's great telescope in the eighteen-forties were scratches left by the
      grinder?<br />
      We can perhaps forgive those who said the moons of Jupiter were produced
      by Galileo's spy-glass if we recall that in his day, as for centuries
      before, curved glass was the popular contrivance for producing not truth
      but illusion, untruth; and if a single curved glass would distort nature,
      how much more would a pair of them?<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 40<br />
      Populations increase and decrease relatively not only to one another, but
      also to natural resources.<br />
      In most parts of the world, the relation between population and resources
      is already unfavourable and will probably become even more unfavourable in
      the future.<br />
      This growing poverty in the midst of growing poverty constitutes a
      permanent menace to peace.<br />
      And not only to peace, but also to democratic institutions and personal
      liberty.<br />
      For overpopulation is not compatib1e with freedom.<br />
      An unfavourable relationship between numbers and resources tends to make
      the earning of a living almost intolerably difficult.<br />
      Labour is more abundant than goods, and the individual is compelled to
      work long hours for little pay.<br />
      No surplus of accumulated purchasing power stands between him and the
      tyrannies of unfriendly nature or of the equally unfriendly wielders of
      political and economic power.<br />
      Democracy is, among other things, the ability to say 'no' to the boss.<br />
      But a man cannot say 'no' to the boss, unless he is sure of being able to
      eat when the boss's favour has been withdrawn.<br />
      And he cannot be certain of his next meal unless he owns the means of
      producing enough wealth, for his family to live on, or has been able to
      accumulate a surplus out of past wages, or has a chance of moving to
      virgin territories, where he can make a fresh start.<br />
      In an overcrowded country, very few people own enough to make them
      financially independent; very few are in a position to accumulate
      purchasing power; and there is no free land.<br />
      Moreover, in any country where population presses hard upon natural
      resources, the general economic situation is apt to be so precarious that
      government control of capital and labour, production and consumption,
      becomes inevitable.<br />
      It is no accident that the twentieth century should be the century of
      highly centralized governments and totalitarian dictatorships; it had to
      be so for the simple reason that the twentieth century is the century of
      planetary overcrowding.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 41<br />
      Education is one of the key words of our time.<br />
      A man without an education, many of us believe, is an unfortunate victim
      of adverse circumstances deprived of one of the greatest twentieth-century
      opportunities.<br />
      Convinced of the importance of education, modern states 'invest' in
      institutions of learning to get back 'interest' in the form of a large
      group of enlightened young men and womenwho are potential leaders.<br />
      Education, with its cycles of instruction so carefully worked out,
      punctuated by text-books--those purchasable wells of wisdom-- what would
      civilization be like without its benefits ?<br />
      So much is certain: that we would have doctors and preachers, lawyers and
      defendants, marriages and births--but our spiritual outlook would be
      different.<br />
      We would lay less stress on 'facts and figures' and more on a good memory,
      on applied psychology, and on the capacity of a man to get along with his
      fellow-citizens.<br />
      If our educational system were fashioned after its bookless past wewould
      have the most democratic form of 'college' imaginable.<br />
      Among the people whom we like to call savages all knowledge inherited by
      tradition is shared by all; it is taught to every member of the tribe so
      that in this respect everybody is, equally equipped for life.<br />
      It is the ideal condition of the 'equal start' which only our most
      progressive forms of modern education try to regain.<br />
      In primitive cultures the obligation to seek and to receive the
      traditional instruction is binding to all.<br />
      There are no 'illiterates '--if the term can be applied to peoples without
      a script--while our own compulsory school attendance became law in Germany
      in 1642, in Francein 1806, and in England in 1876, and is still
      non-existent in a number of 'civilized' nations.<br />
      This shows how long it was before we deemed it necessary to make sure that
      all our children could share in the knowledge accumulated by the 'happy
      few' during the past centuries.<br />
      <br />
      Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.<br />
      All are entitled to an equal start.<br />
      There is none of the hurry which, in our society, often hampers the full
      development of a growing personality.<br />
      There, a child grows up under the ever-present attention of his parents,
      therefore the jungles and the savannahs know of no 'juvenile delinquency.'
      <br />
      No necessity of making a living away from home results in neglect of
      children, and no father is confronted with his inability to 'buy' an
      education for his child.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 42<br />
      Parents are often upset when their children praise the homes of their
      friends and regard it as a slur on their own cooking, or cleaning, or
      furniture, and often are foolish enough to let the adolescents see that
      they are annoyed.<br />
      They may even accuse them of disloyalty, or make some spiteful remark
      about the friends' parents.<br />
      Such a loss of dignity and descent into childish behaviour on the part of
      the adults deeply shocks the adolescents, and makes them resolve that in
      future they will not talk to their parents about the places or people they
      visit.<br />
      Before very long the parents will be complaining that the child is so
      secretive and never tells them anything, but they seldom realize that they
      have brought this on themselves.<br />
      Disillusionment with the parents, however good and adequate they may be
      both as parents and as individuals, is to some degree inevitable.<br />
      Most children have such a high ideal of their parents, unless the parents
      themselves have been unsatisfactory, that it ca hardly hope to stand up to
      a realistic evaluation.<br />
      Parents would be greatly surprised and deeply touched if they realize how
      much belief their children usually have in their character and
      infallibility, and how much this faith means to a child.<br />
      If parents were prepared for this adolescent reaction, and realized that
      it was a sign that the child was growing up and developing valuable powers
      of observation and independent judgement , they would not be so hurt, and
      therefore would not drive the child into opposition by resenting and
      resisting it.<br />
      The adolescent, with his passion for sincerity, always respects a parent
      who admits that he is wrong, or ignorant, or even that he has been unfair
      or unjust.<br />
      What the child cannot forgive is the parents' refusal to admit these
      charges if the child knows them to be true.<br />
      Victorian parents believed that they kept their dignity by retreating
      behind an unreasoning authoritarian attitude; in fact hey did nothing of
      the kind, but children were then too cowed to let them know how they
      really felt.<br />
      Today we tend to go to the other extreme, but on the whole this is a
      healthier attitude both for the child and the parent.<br />
      It is always wiser and safer to face up to reality, however painful it may
      be at the moment.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 43<br />
      Faith in controlled nuclear fission is now being shown by the construction
      of atomic power stations.<br />
      In Britain, Calder Hall on the coast of Cumberland first made its
      contribution to the National Electricity grid in 1957.<br />
      Subsequently a chain of nuclear power stations was planned.<br />
      Of necessity they are sited near the coasts or tidal water because of the
      need of much water for cooling and a certain discharge of possible
      radioactive effluent.<br />
      Atomic power is associated in thepublic mind with the destructive force of
      atom bombs and partly for this reason, though it is claimed that there is
      no danger to be associated with atomic power stations, they are being
      sited away from populous centres.<br />
      The present position is that the three main sources of power are coal, oil
      and water power.<br />
      We sometimes refer to electricity ,gas or petrol as if they were the
      actual source of power , forgetting that electricity must be generated by
      the consumption of coal or oil or by the utilization of water power,
      whilst coke, gas and petrol are examples of secondary fuels by which coal
      and oil may be more effectively used.<br />
      Where alternative sources of power are available there are some marked
      contrasts in handling.<br />
      The bulk and weight of coal required in the majority of manufacturing
      industries is large in comparison with the bulk and weight of other raw
      materials.<br />
      This is not always true--was with the manufacture of pig iron and steel
      from low-grade iron ores-- but it did lead to the concentration
      ofindustrial developments on the coal-fields, a phenomenon well seen in
      such countries as Britain where the Industrial Revolution came before the
      days of oil or electricity.<br />
      Coal being a solid must be distributed mainly by rail or water.<br />
      By way of contrast oil can be transported large distances by pipeline but
      overseas movement has involved building of large numbers of tankers,
      including nowsome of the largest vessels afloat.<br />
      Unless suitable on other grounds oilfields have not become industrial
      regions; on the contrary the oil industry is marked by a certain amount of
      smell and an element of danger, hence the siting of refineries at a
      distance from population centres.<br />
      It is not always realized that the owners of pipelines can handle the oil
      of different customers, sending it through at different, periods.<br />
      Natural gas can also be transported large distances by pipe.<br />
      Early in 1959 Britain received the first ship cargo of natural
      gas----liquefied for the purpose of transport.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 44<br />
      If a nation is essentially disunited, it is left to the government to hold
      it together.<br />
      This increases the expense of government, and reduces correspondingly the
      amount of economic resources that could be used for developing the
      country, And it should not be forgotten how small those resources are in a
      poor and backward country.<br />
      Where the cost of government is high, resources for developmentare
      correspondingly low.<br />
      This may be illustrated by comparing the position of a nation with that of
      a private business enterprise.<br />
      An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in
      business.<br />
      For our purposes, we are concerned only with one kind of cost--the cost of
      managing and administering the business.<br />
      Such administrative overhead in a business is analogous to the cost of
      government in a nation.<br />
      The administrative overhead of a business is low to the extent that
      everyone working in the business can, be trusted to behave in a way that
      best promotes the interests of the firm.<br />
      If they can each be trusted to take such responsibilities, and to exercise
      such initiative as falls within their sphere, then administrative overhead
      will be low.<br />
      It will be low because it will be necessary to have only one man looking
      after each job, without having another man to check upon what he is doing,
      keep him in line, and report on him to someone else.<br />
      But if no one can be trusted to act in a loyal and responsible manner
      towards his job, then the business will require armies of administrators,
      checkers, and foremen, and administrative overhead will rise
      correspondingly.<br />
      As administrative overhead rises, so the earnings of the business, after
      meeting the expense of administration, will fall; and the business will
      have less money to distribute as dividends or invest directly in its
      future progress and development.<br />
      It is precisely the same with a nation.<br />
      To the extent that the people can be relied upon to behave in a loyal and
      responsible manner, the government does not require armies of police and
      civil servants to keep them in order.<br />
      But if a nation is disunited, the government cannot be sure that the
      actions of the people will be in the interests of the nation; and it will
      have to watch, check, and control the people accordingly.<br />
      A disunited nation therefore has to incur unduly high costs of
      government.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 45<br />
      At the age of twelve years, the human body is at its most vigorous.<br />
      It has yet to reach its full size and strength, and its owner his or her
      full intelligence; but at this age the likelihood of death is least.<br />
      Earlier we were infants and young children, and consequently more
      vulnerable; later, we shall undergo a progressive loss of our vigour and
      resistance which, though imperceptible at first, will finally become so
      steep that we can live no longer, however well we look after ourselves,
      and however well society, and our doctors, look after us.<br />
      This decline in vigour with the passing of time is called ageing.<br />
      It is one of the most unpleasant discoveries which we all make that we
      must decline in this way, that if we escape wars, accidents and diseases
      we shall eventually die of old age, and that this happens at a rate which
      differs little from person to person, so that there are heavy odds in
      favour of our dying between the ages of sixty-five and eighty.<br />
      Some of us will die sooner, a few will live longer-- on into a ninth or
      tenth decade.<br />
      But the chances are against it, and there is a virtual limit on how long
      we can hope to remain alive, however lucky and robust we are.<br />
      Normal people tend to forget this process unless and until they are
      reminded of it.<br />
      We are so familiar with the fact that man ages, that people have for years
      assumed that the process of losing vigour with time, of becoming more
      likely to die the older we get, was something self-evident, like the
      cooling of a hot kettle or the wearing-out of a pair of shoes.<br />
      They have also assumed that all animals, and probably other organisms such
      as trees, or even the universe itself, must in the nature of things 'wear
      out'.<br />
      Most animals we commonly observe do in fact age as we do if given the
      chance to live long enough; and mechanical systems like a wound watch or
      the sun, do in fact run out of energy in accordance with the second law of
      thermodynamics (whether the whole universe does so is a moot point at
      present).<br />
      But these are not analogous to what happens when man ages A run-down watch
      is still a watch and can be rewound.<br />
      An old watch, by contrast, becomes so worn and unreliable that it
      eventually is not worth mending.<br />
      But a watch could never repair itself it does not consist of living parts,
      only of metal, which wears away by friction.<br />
      We could, at one time, repair ourselves well enough, at least, to overcome
      all but the most instantly fatal illnesses and accidents.<br />
      Between twelve and eighty years we gradually lose this power; an illness
      which at twelve would knock us over, at eighty can knock us out, and into
      our grave.<br />
      If we could stay as vigorous as we are at twelve, it would take about 700
      years for half of us to die, and another 700 for the survivors to be
      reduce by half again.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 46<br />
      After millennia of growth so slow that each generation hardly noticed it,
      the cities are suddenly racing off in every direction.<br />
      The world population goes up by two per cent a year, city population goes
      up by four per cent a year, but in big cities the rate may be as much as
      five and six per cent a year.<br />
      To give only one example of almost visible acceleration, Athens today
      grows by three dwellings And 100 square metres of road every hour.<br />
      There is no reason to believe that this pace will slacken.<br />
      As technology gradually swallows up all forms of work, industrial and
      agricultural, the rural areas are going to shrink, just as they have
      shrunk in Britain, and the vast majority of their people will move into
      the city.<br />
      In fact, in Britain now only about four or five per cent of people live in
      rural areas and depend upon them; all through the developing world the
      vanguard of the rural exodus has reached the urban fringes already, and
      there they huddle, migrants in the favellas and barrios of Latin America,
      in shanty towns in Africa, in those horrifying encampments one sees on the
      outskirts of Calcutta and Bombay.<br />
      We are heading towards an urban world.<br />
      This enormous increase will go ahead whatever we do, and we have to
      remember that the new cities devour space.<br />
      People now acquire far more goods and things.<br />
      There is a greater density of household goods; they demand more services
      such as sewage and drainage.<br />
      Above all the car changes everything: rising incomes and rising
      populations can make urban car density increase by something like four and
      five per cent in a decade; traffic flows rise to fill whatever scale of
      highways are provided for them.<br />
      The car also has a curious ambivalence: it creates and then it destroys
      mobility.<br />
      The car tempts people further out and then gives them the appalling
      problem of getting back.<br />
      It makes them believe they can spend Sunday in Brighton, but makes it
      impossible for them to return before, say, two in the morning.<br />
      People go further and further away to reach open air and countryside which
      continuously recedes from them, and just as their working weeks decline
      and they begin to have more time for leisure, they find they cannot get to
      the open spaces or the recreation or the beaches which they now have the
      time to enjoy.<br />
      Recently some studies were made in the behaviour of mice when exposed to
      more than a certain degree of density, frustration, and noise, and the
      mice just became deranged.<br />
      I think some sociologists wonder whether it might not be the same for
      men.<br />
      This combination of very high density of population, goods and services,
      and machines, all increasing with almost bruta1 speed, does account for
      some really antisocial tendencies in modern urban growth.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 47<br />
      The modern Plato, like his ancient counterpart, has an unbounded contempt
      for politicians and statesmen and party leaders who are not university
      men.<br />
      He finds politics a dirty game, and only enters them reluctantly because
      he knows that at the very least he and his friends are better than the
      present gang.<br />
      Brought up in the traditions of the ruling classes, he has a natural pity
      for the common people whom he has learnt to know as servants, and observed
      from a distance at their work in the factory, at their play in the parks
      and holiday resorts.<br />
      He has never mixed with them or spoken to them on equal terms, but has
      demanded and generally received a respect due to his position and superior
      intelligence.<br />
      He knows that if they trust him, he can give them the happiness which they
      crave.<br />
      A man of culture, he genuinely despises the self-made industrialist and
      news-paper-king: with a modest professional salary and a little private
      income of his own, he regards money-making as vulgar and avoids all
      ostentation.<br />
      Industry and finance seem to him to be activities unworthy of gentlemen,
      although, alas, many are forced by exigencies of circumstance to take some
      part in them.<br />
      intellectual, he gently laughs at the superstitions of most Christians,
      but attends church regularly because he sees the importance of organized
      religion for the maintenance of sound morality among the lower orders, and
      because he dislikes the scepticism and materialism of radical teachers.<br />
      His genuine passions are for literature and the philosophy of science and
      he would gladly spend all his time in studying them.<br />
      But the plight of the world compels his unwilling attention, and when he
      sees that human stupidity and greed are about to plunge .<br />
      Europe into chaos and destroy the most glorious civilization which the
      world has known, he feels that it is high time for men of good sense and
      good will to intervene and to take politics out of the hands of the
      plutocrats of the Right and the woolly-minded idealists of the Left.<br />
      Since he and his kind are the only representatives of decency combined
      with intelligence, they must step down into the arena and save the masses
      for themselves.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 48<br />
      I have known very few writers, but those I have known, and whom I
      respected, confess at once that they have little idea where they arc going
      when they first set pen to paper.<br />
      They have a character, perhaps two, they are in that condition of eager
      discomfort which passes for inspiration, all admit radical changes of
      destination once the journey has begun; one, to my certain knowledge,
      spent nine months on a novel about Kashmir, then reset the whole thing in
      the Scottish Highlands.<br />
      I never heard of anyone making a 'skeleton', as we were taught at
      school.<br />
      In the breaking and remaking, in the timing, interweaving, beginning
      afresh, the writer comes to discern things in his material which were not
      consciously in his mind when he began.<br />
      This organic process, often leading to moments of extraordinary
      self-discovery, is of an indescribable fascination.<br />
      A blurred image appears, he adds a brushstroke and another, and it is
      gone; but something was there, and he will not rest till he has captured
      it.<br />
      Sometimes the yeast within a writer outlives a book he has written.<br />
      I have heard of writers who read nothing but their own books, like
      adolescents they stand before the mirror, and still cannot fathom the
      exact outline of the vision before them.<br />
      For the samereason, writers talk interminably about their own books,
      winkling out hidden meanings, super-imposing new ones, begging response
      from those around them.<br />
      Of course a writer doing this is misunderstood: he might as well try to
      explain a crime or a love affair.<br />
      He is also, incidentally, an unforgivable bore.<br />
      This temptation to cover the distance between himself and the reader, to
      study his image in the sight of those who do not know him, can be his
      undoing: he has begun to write to please.<br />
      A young English writer made the pertinent observation a year or two back
      that the talent goes into the first draft, and the art into the drafts
      that follow.<br />
      For this reason also the writer, like any other artist, has no resting
      place, no crowd or movement in which he may take comfort, no judgment from
      outside which can replace the judgment from within.<br />
      A writer makes order out of the anarchy of his heart; he submits himself
      to a more ruthless discipline than any critic dreamed of, and when he
      flirsts with fame, he is taking time off from living with himself, from
      the search for what his world contains at its inmost point.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 49<br />
      Rockets and artificial satellites can go far above the ionosphere, and
      even escape from the Earth.<br />
      Yet they are complex and expensive, and in their present stage of
      development they cannot lift massive telescopes, keep them steady while
      the observations are being carried out, and then return them safely.<br />
      Balloons are much easier to handle, and are also vastly cheaper.<br />
      Their main limitation is that they are incapable of rising to the
      ionosphere.<br />
      A height of between 80,000 and 90,000 feet is as much as can reasonably be
      expected, and so balloon-borne instruments can contribute little to either
      ultra-violet astronomy or X-ray astronomy.<br />
      <br />
      All the same, the balloon has much to be said in its favour, since it can
      at least carry heavy equipment above most of the atmospheric mass--thus
      eliminating blurring and unsteadiness of the images.<br />
      Moreover, water-vapour and carbon dioxide in the lower air absorb most of
      the infra-red radiations sent to us from the planets.<br />
      Balloon ascents overcome this hazard with ease.<br />
      Hot-air balloons date back to the year 1783, and within a few months of
      the first flight a French scientist, Charles, went up two miles in a free
      balloon.<br />
      Yet there is little resemblance between these crude vehicles and a modern
      scientific balloon, which has by now become an important research tool.<br />
      The main development has been carried out by M.<br />
      Schwarlschild and his team at Princeton University in the United States,
      in collaboration with the United States Navy, the National Science
      Foundation, and the National Aero-nautics and Space Administration.<br />
      The 'Stratoscope' flights of 1959, concerned mainly with studies of the
      Sun, were remarkably successful, and the project hasnow been extended.<br />
      With Stratoscope II, the overall height from the telescope to the top of
      the launch balloon is 666 feet, the balloons together weigh over two tons,
      and another two tons of ballast are carried for later release if height
      has be maintained during the night.<br />
      The telescope, plus its controls weighs three-and-a-half tons.<br />
      Two large parachutes arc also carried; in case of emergency, the
      instruments and their records can be separated from the main balloon
      system, and brought down gently.<br />
      Many of the radio and electronic devices used are similar to those of
      artificial satellites.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 50<br />
      In mediaeval times rivers were the veins of the body politic as well as
      economic.<br />
      Boundaries between states or shires, they were crossed by fords which
      became the sites of towns, or by bridges which were often points of
      battle.<br />
      Upon rivers the people of that time depended for food, power and
      transport.<br />
      In our day fish are caught in the sea and brought to us by rail and lorry;
      only the angler still thinks fresh-water fish important, and pollution of
      rivers drives him into smaller and smaller reaches in which to practise
      his sport.<br />
      But in earlier times, when sea fish were eaten only by those who lived on
      the sea coast, when meat was obtainable only for part of the year, and
      when fasts were frequent and universally practised, river fish played an
      important part in the national life.<br />
      Every abbey and great man's house had its fish pond, and across the rivers
      great and small stretched the fish weirs, usually made of stakes and nets
      or basket-work.<br />
      Between the owners of the fisheries and the bargemaster who needed an
      unimpeded passage continuous war was fought, till the importance of
      fresh-water fish lessened as the practice of fasting ceased to be
      universal, as meat be-came available all the year round, and as the
      transport of sea fish inland became practicable.<br />
      Rivers were also the most important source of power.<br />
      Every stream had its mills, not only for grinding corn, but for all the
      other industrial processes of the time, such as fulling* cloth or driving
      the hammers of ironworks.<br />
      Placed down the bank wherever a head of water could be got, these mills
      were to be found on the tiny stream that ran through a village, or on the
      bigger river that was also used for navigation.<br />
      An artificial cut was made from the river to bring the water at proper
      height to the water-wheel, and, in order to make sure of a supply of water
      at all seasons, the mill-owner usually built a weir across the river to
      hold back the water and so form an artificial reservoir.<br />
      If the river were navigable, the centre of such a weir was made of planks
      held vertically by cross beams so that they could be removed when it was
      necessary to pass a barge, or was fitted with a single pair of gates.<br />
      Such weirs were called staunches or flash-locks; they did not disappear
      from the bigger rivers till present times, and may still be seen in the
      Fens.<br />
      * Cleansing and thickening.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 51<br />
      Two main techniques have been used for training elephants, which we may
      call respectively the tough and the gentle.<br />
      The former method simply consists of setting an elephant to work and
      beating him until he does what is expected of him.<br />
      Apart from any moral considerations this is a stupid method of training,
      for it produces a resentful animal who at a later stage may well turn
      man-killer.<br />
      The gentle method requires more patience in the early stages, but produces
      a cheerful, good-tempered elephant who will give many years of loyal
      service.<br />
      The first essential in elephant training is to assign to the animal a
      single mahout who will be entirely responsible for the job.<br />
      Elephants like to have one master just as dogs do, and are capable of a
      considerable degree of personal affection.<br />
      There are even stories of half-trained elephant calves who have refused to
      feed and pined to death when by some unavoidable circumstance they have
      been deprived of their own trainer.<br />
      Such extreme cases must probably be taken with a grain of salt, but they
      do underline the general principle that the relation-ship between elephant
      and mahout is the key to successful training.<br />
      The most economical age to capture an elephant for training is between
      fifteen and twenty years, for it is then almost ready to undertake heavy
      work and can begin to earn its keep straight away.<br />
      But animals of this age do not easily become subservient to man, and a
      very firm hand must be employed in the early stages.<br />
      The captive elephant, still roped to a tree, plunges and screams every
      time a man approaches, and for several days will probably refuse all food
      through anger and fear.<br />
      Sometimes a tame elephant is tethered nearby to give the wild one
      confidence, and in most cases the captive gradually quietens down and
      begins to accept its food.<br />
      The next stage is to get the elephant to the training establishment, a
      ticklish business which is achieved with the aid of two tame elephants
      roped to the captive on either side.<br />
      When several elephants are being trained at one time it is customary for
      the new arrival to be placed between the stalls of two captives whose
      training is already well advanced.<br />
      It is then left completely undisturbed with plenty of food and water so
      that it can absorb the atmosphere of its new home and see that nothing
      particularly alarming is happening to its companions.<br />
      When it is eating normally its own training begins.<br />
      The trainer stands in front of the elephant holding a long stick with a
      sharp metal point.<br />
      Two assistants, mounted on tame elephants, control the captive from either
      side, while others rub their hands over his skin to the accompaniment of a
      monotonous and soothing chant.<br />
      This if supposed to induce pleasurable sensations in the elephant, and its
      effects are rein-forced by the use of endearing epithets, such as 'ho !<br />
      my son', or 'ho !<br />
      my father', or 'my mother', according to the age and sex of the
      captive.<br />
      The elephant is not immediately susceptible to such blandishments,
      however, and usually lashes fiercely with its trunk in all directions.<br />
      These movements are controlled by the trainer with the metal-pointed
      stick, and the trunk eventually becomes so sore that the elephant curls it
      up and seldom afterwards uses it for offensive purposes.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 52<br />
      An earthquake comes like a thief in the night, without warning.<br />
      It was necessary, therefore, to invent instruments that neither slumbered
      nor slept.<br />
      Some devices were quite simple.<br />
      one, for instance, consisted of rods of various lengths and thicknesses
      which would stand up on end like ninepins.<br />
      when a shock came it shook the rigid table upon which these stood.<br />
      If it were gentle, only the more unstable rods fell.<br />
      If it were severe, they all fell.<br />
      Thus the rods by falling, and by the direction in which they fell,
      recorded for the slumbering scientist the strength of a shock that was too
      weak to waken him and the direction from which it came.<br />
      But instruments far more delicate than that were needed if any really
      serious advance was to be made.<br />
      The ideal to be aimed at was to devise an instrument that could record
      with a pen on paper the movements, of the ground or of the table, as the
      quake passed by.<br />
      While I write my pen moves, but the paper keeps still.<br />
      With practice, no doubt, I could in time learn to write by holding the
      still while the paper moved.<br />
      That sounds a silly suggestion, but that was precisely the idea adopted in
      some of the early instruments (seismometers) for recording earthquake
      waves.<br />
      But when table, penholder and paper are all moving how is it possible to
      write legibly?<br />
      The key to a solution of that problem lay in an every- day observation.<br />
      Why does a person standing in a bus or train tend to fall when a sudden
      start is made?<br />
      It is because his feet move on, but his head stays still.<br />
      A simple experiment will help us a little further.<br />
      Tie a heavy weight at the end of a long piece of string.<br />
      With the hand held high in the air hold the strings so that the weight
      nearly touches the ground.<br />
      Now move the hand to and fro and around but not up and down.<br />
      It will be found that the weight moves but slightly or not at all.<br />
      Imagine a pen attached to the weight in such a way that its point rests
      upon a piece of paper on the floor.<br />
      Imagine an earthquake shock shaking the floor, the paper, you and your
      hand.<br />
      In the midst of all this movement the weight and the pen would be
      still.<br />
      But as the paper moved from side to side under the pen point its movement
      would be recorded in ink upon its surface.<br />
      It was upon this principle that the first instruments were made, but the
      paper was wrapped round a drum which rotated slowly.<br />
      As long as all was still the pen drew a straight line, but while the drum
      was being shaken the line that the pen was drawing wriggled from side to
      side.<br />
      The apparatus thus described, however, records only the horizontal
      component of the wave movement, which is, in fact, much more
      complicated.<br />
      If we could actually see the path described by a particle, such as a sand
      grain in the rock, it would be more like that of a bluebottle buzzing
      round the room; it would be up and down, to and fro and from side to
      side.<br />
      Instruments have been devised and can he so placed that all three elements
      can be recorded in different graphs.<br />
      When the instrument is situated at more than 700 miles from the earthquake
      centre, the graphic record shows three waves arriving one after the other
      at short intervals.<br />
      The first records the arrival of longitudinal vibrations.<br />
      The second marks the arrival of transverse vibrations which travel more
      slowly and arrive several minutes after the first.<br />
      These two have travelled through the earth.<br />
      It was from the study of these that so much was learnt about the interior
      of the earth.<br />
      The third, or main wave, is the slowest and has travelled round the earth
      through the surface rocks.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 53<br />
      The French Foreign Legion was founded by a Royal Ordinance, written on a
      small piece of official French War Office notepaper dated March 9th, 1831,
      and signed by the then reigning monarch of France, Louis-Philippe.<br />
      He had been on the throne for barely eight months when he authorized this
      measure, which was as much a product of necessity as of careful planning,
      although there may be divided views on this.<br />
      The reasons for forming the French Foreign Legion were probably
      twofold.<br />
      In the first place the men of the disbanded royal bodyguard and the
      Regiment of Hohenlohe, suddenly turned loose on to the street of a capital
      seething with un-rest, unemployed and perhaps disgruntled at their abrupt
      dismissal, were a potentially dangerous element.<br />
      They were trained to the use of arms, and shouldthey become tools of the
      politically ambitious or discontented they would present a distinct menace
      to the new regime, not yet too firmly established and sure of itself.<br />
      For some time Paris had been swarming with countless other discharged
      foreign soldiers who had served in the French army at various times under
      the Empire and the Republic, many of whom were in needy circumstances and
      open to suggestion, whilst others were openly looking for trouble and
      always ready to take part in any disturbance.<br />
      It was clearly both expedient and desirable to re-move these dangers as
      far away from the capital as possible.<br />
      Next, the Algerian adventure had begun, and it appeared that this might
      prove expensive in lives.<br />
      The more Frenchmen killed in North Africa, the less popular the government
      at home would be, so if foreign cannon fodder was available so much the
      better.<br />
      The Algerian landing had been viewed with mixed feelings in a politically
      divided France, but there does not seem to have been, any marked
      indication on the part of the politicians that they were unanimous that
      the occupation should be abruptly terminated; most were wary and many
      apprehensive as to how the Algerian business would turn out.<br />
      The formation of a foreign legion seemed therefore to be an ideal method
      of killing these two birds with one stone.<br />
      Once the conditions were made clear there does not seem o have been any
      serious opposition.<br />
      Marshal Soult was reputed to be the man behind the scheme both for
      removing and using the unemployed foreign ex-soldiers.<br />
      He could not have failed to recognize, once they were formed into
      disciplined units, how useful they would be, both for garrison duty and
      for active operations in Algeria, nor the fact that if their casualties
      were heavy or their conditions not of the best, there would be no
      embarrassing reaction for agitation in France on their behalf.<br />
      The Royal Ordinance decreed that there should be a legion formed
      foreigners for service outside France, which was to be called the 'Foreign
      Legion' and it was to be part of the French army and under the control of
      the War Minister.<br />
      It laid down that as far as possible companies should be composed of men
      of the same nationality or who spoke a common language.<br />
      Algeria was not specificall y mentioned but as it was the only scrap of
      foreign territory of any size possessed by France at that moment, there
      was no doubt as to the meaning of the phrase 'outside France'.<br />
      In the anxiety to get dubious, restless characters out of the country no
      questions were asked as to nationality, previous record or history, and no
      proof of identity was required.<br />
      The name and particulars given by the recruit were accepted at face value
      and many gave noms de guerre,* for understandable reasons.<br />
      Thus the practice began, and the tradition started of 'asking no
      questions'.<br />
      This tradition of guaranteeing anonymity began to develop quickly,
      although it was not until later that it was carried to the extreme of
      denying all knowledge of any individuals who were in its ranks and of
      refusing point blank to answer questions or to allow any outside contact
      with the legionnaires.<br />
      * Pseudonyms.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 54<br />
      We must conclude from the work of those who have studied the origin of
      life, that given a planet only approximately like our own, life is almost
      certain to start.<br />
      Of all the planets in our own solar system we arc now pretty certain the
      Earth is the only one on which life can survive.<br />
      Mars is too dry and poor in oxygen, Venus far too hot, and so is Mercury,
      and the outer planets have temperatures near absolute zero and
      hydrogen-dominated atmospheres.<br />
      But other suns, stars as the astronomers call them, are bound to have
      planets like our own, and as the number of stars in the universe is so
      vast, this possibility becomes virtual certainty.<br />
      There are one hundred thousand million stars in our own Milky Way alone,
      and then there are three thousand million other Milky Ways, or Galaxies,
      in the universe.<br />
      So the number of stars that we know exist is estimated at about 300
      million million million.<br />
      Although perhaps only 1 per cent of the life that has started somewhere
      will develop into highly complex and intelligent patterns, so vast is the
      number of planets that intelligent life is bound to be a natural part of
      the universe.<br />
      If then we are so certain that other intelligent life exists in the
      universe, why have we had no visitors from outer space yet ?<br />
      First of all, they may have come tothis planet of ours thousands or
      millions of years ago, and found our then prevailing primitive state
      completely uninteresting to their own advanced knowledge.<br />
      Professor Ronald Bracewell, a leading American radio-astronomer, argued in
      Nature that such a superior civilization, on a visit to our own solar
      system, may- have left an automatic messenger behind to await the possible
      awakening of an advanced civilization.<br />
      Such a messenger, receiving our radio and television signals, might well
      re-transmit them back to its home-planet, although what impression any
      other civilization would thus get from us is best left unsaid.<br />
      But here we come up against the most difficult of all obstacles to contact
      with people on other planets--the astronomical distances which separate
      us.<br />
      As a reasonable guess, they might, on an average, be 100 light years
      away.<br />
      (A light year is the distance which light travels at 186,000 miles per
      second in one year, namely 6 million million miles.<br />
      ) Radio waves also travel at the speed of light, and assuming such an
      automatic messenger picked up our first broadcasts of the 1920's, the
      message to its home planet is barely halfway there.<br />
      Similarly, our own Present primitive chemical rockets, though good enough
      to orbit men, have no chance of transporting us to the nearest other star,
      four light years away, let alone distances of tens or hundreds of light
      years.<br />
      Fortunately, there is a 'uniquely rational way' for us to communicate with
      other intelligent beings, as Walter Sullivan has put it in his excellent
      recent book, We are not alone.<br />
      This depends on the precise radio-frequency of the 21-cm wavelength, or
      1420 megacycles per second.<br />
      It is the natural frequency of emission of the hydrogen atoms in space and
      was discovered by us in 1951; it must be known to any kind of
      radio-astronomer in the universe.<br />
      Once the existence of this wave-length had been discovered, it was not
      long before its use as the uniquely recognizable broadcasting frequency
      for interstellar communication was suggested.<br />
      Without something of this kind, searching for intelligences on other
      planets would be like trying to meet a friend in London without a
      Pre-arranged rendezvous and absurdly wandering the streets in the hope of
      a chance encounter.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 55<br />
      Custom has not been commonly regarded as a subject of any great moment.<br />
      The inner workings of our own brains we feel to be uniquely worthy of
      investigation, but custom have a way of thinking, is behaviour at its most
      commonplace.<br />
      As a matter of fact, it is the other way around.<br />
      Traditional custom, taken the world over, is a mass of detailed behaviour
      more astonishing than what any one person can ever evolve in individual
      actions, no matter how aberrant.<br />
      Yet that is a rather trivial aspect of the matter.<br />
      The fact of first-rate importance is the predominant role that custom
      plays in experience and in belief, and the very great varieties it may
      manifest.<br />
      No man ever looks at the world with pristine eyes.<br />
      He sees it edited by a definite set of customs and institutions and ways
      of thinking.<br />
      Even in his philosophical probings he cannot go behind these stereotypes;
      his very concepts of the true and the false will still have reference to
      his particular traditional customs.<br />
      John Dewey has said in all seriousness that the part played by custom in
      shaping the behaviour of the individual as over against any way in which
      he can affect traditional custom, is as the proportion of the total
      vocabulary of his mother tongue over against those words of his own baby
      talk that are taken up into the vernacular of his family.<br />
      When one seriously studies the social orders that have had the opportunity
      to develop autonomously, the figure becomes no more than an exact and
      matter-off-fact observation.<br />
      The life history of the individual is first and foremost an accommodation
      to the patterns and standards traditionally handed down in his
      community.<br />
      From the moment of his birth the customs into which he is born shape his
      experience and behaviour.<br />
      By the time he can talk, he is the little creature of his culture, and by
      the time he is grown and able to take part in its activities, its habits
      are his habits, its beliefs his beliefs, its impossibilities his
      impossibilities.<br />
      Every child that is born into his group will share them with him, and no
      child born into one on the opposite side of the globe can ever achieve the
      thousandth part.<br />
      There is no social problem it is more incumbent upon us to understand than
      this of the role of custom.<br />
      Until we are intelligent as to its laws and varieties, the main
      complicating facts of human life must remain unintelligible.<br />
      The study of custom can be profitable only after certain preliminary
      propositions have been accepted, and some of these propositions have been
      violently opposed.<br />
      In the first place any scientific study requires that there be no
      preferential weighting of one or another of the items in the series it
      selects for its consideration.<br />
      In all the less controversial fields like the study of cacti or termites
      or the nature of nebulae, the necessary method of study is to group the
      relevant material and to take note of all possible variant forms and
      conditions.<br />
      In this way we have learned all that we know of the laws of astronomy, or
      of the habits of the social insects, let us say.<br />
      It is only in the study of man himself that the major social sciences have
      substituted the study of one local variation, that of Western
      civilization.<br />
      Anthropology was by definition impossible as long as these distinctions
      between ourselves and the primitive, ourselves and the barbarian,
      ourselves and the pagan, held sway over people's minds.<br />
      It was necessary first to arrive at that degree, of sophistication where
      we no longer set our own belief over against our neighbour's
      superstition.<br />
      It was necessary to recognize that these institutions which are based on
      the same premises, let us say the supernatural, must be considered
      together, our own among the rest.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 56<br />
      Science and technology have come to pervade every aspect of our lives and,
      as a result, society is changing at a speed which is quite
      unprecedented.<br />
      There is a great technological explosion around us, generated by
      science.<br />
      This explosion is already freeing vast numbers of people from their
      traditional bondage to nature, and now at last we have it in our power to
      free mankind once and for all from the fear which is based on want.<br />
      Now, for the first time, man can reasonably begin to think that life can
      be something more than a grim struggle for survival.<br />
      But even today, in spite of the high standard of living which has become
      general in the more fortunate West, the majority of people in the world
      still spend nearly all their time and energy in a never-ending struggle
      with nature to secure the food and shelter they need.<br />
      Even in this elementary effort millions of humanbeings each year die
      unnecessarily and wastefully from hunger, disease, or flood.<br />
      Yet, in the West, science and technology have made it possible for us to
      have a plentiful supply of food, produced by only a fraction of the labour
      that was necessary even a few decades ago.<br />
      In the United States, for instance, one man on the land produces more than
      enough food to feed fifteen men in the cities, and, in fact, there is a
      surplus of food grown even by this small proportion of theAmerican labour
      force.<br />
      We have considerably extended our expectation of life.<br />
      We have enriched our lives by creating physical mobility through the
      motor-car, the jet aeroplane, and other means of mechanical transport; and
      we have added to our intellectual mobility by the telephone, radio, and
      television.<br />
      Not content with these advances, we are now thrusting forward to the
      stars, and the conquest o space no longer strikes us as Wellsian or Jules
      Vernian.<br />
      And with the advent of the new phase of technology we call automation, we
      have the promise both of greater leisure and of even greater material and
      intellectual riches.<br />
      But this is not inevitable.<br />
      It depends on automation being adequately exploited.<br />
      We shall need to apply our scientific and technological resources to
      literally every aspect of our society, to our commerce, our industry, our
      medicine, our agriculture, our transportation.<br />
      It is fascinating and encouraging to observe the development of this
      immense process, a process in which man appears all the time to be engaged
      in the act of creating an extension of himself.<br />
      In his new technological successes this appears particularly true.<br />
      He is extending his eyes with radar; his tongue and his ear through
      telecommunication; his muscle and body structure through mechanization.<br />
      He extends his own energies by the generation and transmission of power
      and his nervous system and his thinking and decision-making faculties
      through automation.<br />
      If this observation is accurate, as I believe it is, the implications are
      far-reaching.<br />
      It might be reasonable to conclude that the direction of modern science
      and technology is towards the creation of a series of machine-systems
      based on man as a model.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 57<br />
      In man's early days, competition with other creatures must have been
      critical.<br />
      But this phase of our development is now finished.<br />
      Indeed, we lack practice and experience nowadays in dealing with primitive
      conditions.<br />
      I am sure that, without modern weapons, I would make a very poor show of
      disputing the ownership of a cave with a bear, and in this I do not think
      that I stand alone.<br />
      The last creature to compete with man was the mosquito.<br />
      But even the mosquito has been subdued by attention to drainage and by
      chemical sprays.<br />
      Competition between ourselves, person against person, community against
      community, still persists, however; and it is as fierce as it ever was.<br />
      But the competition of man against man is not the simple process
      envisioned in biology.<br />
      It is not a simple competition for a fixed amount of food determined by
      the physical environment, because the environment that determines our
      evolution is no longer essentially physical.<br />
      Our environment is chiefly conditioned by the things we believe.<br />
      Morocco and California are bits of the Earth in very similar latitudes,
      both on the west coasts of continents with similar climates, and probably
      with rather similar natural resources.<br />
      Yet their present development is wholly different, not so much because of
      different people even, but because of the different thoughts that exist in
      the minds of their inhabitants.<br />
      This is the point I wish to emphasize.<br />
      The most important factor in our environment is the state of our own
      minds.<br />
      It is well known that where the white man has invaded a primitive culture
      the most destructive effects have come not from physical weapons but from
      ideas.<br />
      Ideas are dangerous.<br />
      The Holy office knew this full well when it caused heretics to be burned
      in days gone by.<br />
      Indeed, the concept of free speech only exists in our modem society
      because when you are inside a community you are conditioned by the
      conventions of the community to such a degree that it is very difficult to
      conceive of anything really destructive.<br />
      It is only someone looking on from outside that can inject the dangerous
      thoughts.<br />
      I do not doubt that it would be possible to inject ideas into the modern
      world that would utterly destroy us.<br />
      I would like to give you an example, but fortunately I cannot do so.<br />
      Perhaps it will suffice to mention the nuclear bomb.<br />
      Imagine the effect on a reasonably advanced technological society, one
      that still does not possess the bomb, of making it aware of the
      possibility, of supplying sufficient details to enable the thing to be
      constructed.<br />
      Twenty or thirty pages of information handed to any of the major world
      powers around the year 1925 would have been sufficient to change the
      course of world history.<br />
      It is a strange thought, but I believe a correct one, that twenty or
      thirty pages of ideas and information would be capable of turning the
      present-day world upside down, or even destroying it.<br />
      I have often tried to conceive of what those pages might contain, but of
      course I cannot do so because I am a prisoner of the present-day world,
      just as all of you are.<br />
      We cannot think outside the particular patterns that our brains are
      conditioned to, or, to be more accurate, we can think only a very little
      way outside, and then only if we are very original.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 58<br />
      A gifted American psychologist has said, 'Worry is a spasm of the emotion;
      the mind catches hold of something and will not let it go.'
      <br />
      It is useless to argue with the mind in this condition.<br />
      The stronger the will, the more futile the task.<br />
      One can only gently insinuate something else into its convulsive grasp.<br />
      And if this something else is rightly chosen, if it is really attended by
      the illumination of another field of interest, gradually, and often quite
      swiftly, the old undue grip relaxes and the process of recuperation and
      repair begins.<br />
      The cultivation of a hobby and new forms of interest is therefore a policy
      of first importance to a public man.<br />
      But this is not a business that can be undertaken in a day or swiftly
      improvised by a mere command of the will.<br />
      The growth of alternative mental interests is a long process.<br />
      The seeds must be carefully chosen; they must fall on good ground; they
      must be sedulously tended, if the vivifying fruits are to be at hand when
      needed.<br />
      To be really happy and really safe, one ought to have at least two or
      three hobbies, and they must all be real.<br />
      It is no use starting late in life to say: 'I will take an interest in
      this or that.' <br />
      Such an attempt only aggravates the strain of mental effort.<br />
      A man may acquire great knowledge of topics unconnected with his daily
      work, and yet hardly get any benefit or relief.<br />
      It is no use doing what you like, you have got to like what you do.<br />
      Broadly speaking, human beings may be divided into three classes: those
      who are toiled to death, those who are worried to death, and those who are
      bored to death.<br />
      It is no use offering the manual labourer, tired out with a hard week's
      sweat and effort, the chance of playing a game of football or baseball on
      Saturday afternoon.<br />
      It is no use inviting the politician or the professional or business man,
      who has been working or worrying about serious things for six days, to
      work or worry about trifling things at the week-end.<br />
      As for the unfortunate people who can command everything they want, who
      can gratify every caprice and lay their hands on almost every object of
      desire for them a new pleasure, a new excitement is only an additional
      satiation.<br />
      In vain they rush frantically round from place to place, trying to escape
      from avenging boredom by mere clatter and motion.<br />
      For them discipline in one form or another is the most hopeful path.<br />
      It may also be said that rational, industrious, useful human beings are
      divided into two classes: first, those whose work is work and whose
      pleasure is pleasure; and secondly, those whose work and pleasure are
      one.<br />
      Of these the former are the majority.<br />
      They have their compensations.<br />
      The long hours in the office or the factory bring with them as their
      reward, not only the means of sustenance, but a keen appetite for pleasure
      even in its simplest and most modest forms.<br />
      But fortune's favoured children belong to the second class.<br />
      Their life is a natural harmony.<br />
      For them the working hours are never long enough.<br />
      Each day is a holiday, and ordinary holidays when they come are grudged as
      enforced interruptions in an absorbing vocation.<br />
      Yet to both classes the need of an alternative outlook, of a change of
      atmosphere, of a diversion of effort, is essential.<br />
      Indeed,it may well be that those whose work is their pleasure are those
      who most need the means of banishing it at intervals from their minds.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 59<br />
      Economy is one powerful motive for camping, since after the initial outlay
      upon equipment, or through hiring it, the total expense can be far less
      than the cost of hotels.<br />
      But, contrary to a popular assumption, it is far from being the only one,
      or even the greatest.<br />
      The man who manoeuvres carelessly into his five shillings worth of space
      at one of Europe's myriad permanent sites may find himself bumping a
      Bentley.<br />
      More likely, Ford Consul will be hub to hub with Renault or Mercedes, but
      rarely with bicycles made for two.<br />
      That the equipment of modern camping becomes yearly more sophisticated is
      an entertaining paradox for the cynic, a brighter promise for the hopeful
      traveler who has sworn to get away from it all.<br />
      It also provides--and some student sociologist might care to base his
      thesis upon the phenomenon--an escape of another kind.<br />
      The modern traveller is often a man who dislikes the Splendide and the
      Bellavista, not because he cannot afford, or shuns, their meterial
      comforts, butbecause he is afraid of them.<br />
      Affluent he may be, but he is by no means sure what, to tip the doorman or
      the chambermaid.<br />
      Master in his own house, he has little idea of when to say boo to a maitre
      d'hotel.<br />
      * From all such fears camping releases him.<br />
      Granted, a snobbery of camping itself, based upon equipment and
      techniques, already exists, but it is of a kind that, if he meets it, he
      can readily understand and deal with.<br />
      There is no superior 'they' in the shape of managements and hotel
      hierarchies to darken his holiday days.<br />
      To such motives, yet another must be added.<br />
      The contemporary phenomenon of motor-car worship is to be explained not
      least by the sense of independence and freedom that ownership entails.<br />
      To this pleasure camping gives an exquisite refinement.<br />
      From one's own front door to home or foreign hills or sands and back
      again, everything is to hand.<br />
      Not only are the means of arriving at the holiday paradise entirely within
      one's own command and keeping, but the means of escape from holiday hell
      (if the beach proves too crowded, the local weather too inclement) are
      there, outside--or, as likely, part of--the tent.<br />
      Idealists have objected to the practice of camping, as to the packaged
      tour, that the traveller abroad thereby denies himself the opportunity of
      getting to know the people of the country visited.<br />
      Insularity and self-containment, it is argued, go hand in hand.<br />
      The opinion does not survive experience of a popular Continental camping
      place.<br />
      Holiday hotels tend to cater for one nationality of visitors especially,
      sometimes exclusively.<br />
      Camping sites, by contrast, are highly cosmopolitan.<br />
      Granted, a preponderance of Germans is a characteristic that seems common
      to most Mediterranean sites; but as yet there is no overwhelmingly
      specialized patronage.<br />
      Notices forbidding the open-air drying of clothes, or the use of water
      points for car washing, or those inviting 'our camping friends' to a dance
      or a boat trip are printed not only in French or Italian or Spanish, but
      also in English, German and Dutch.<br />
      At meal times the odour of sauerkraut vies with that of garlic.<br />
      The Frenchman's breakfast coffee competes with the Englishman's bacon and
      eggs.<br />
      Whether the remarkable growth of organized camping means the eventual
      death of the more independent kind is hard to say.<br />
      Municipalities naturally want to secure the campers' site fees and other
      custom.<br />
      Police are wary of itinerants who cannot be traced to a recognized camp
      boundary or to four walls.<br />
      But most probably it will all depend upon campers themselves: how many
      heath fires they cause, how much litter they leave, in short, whether or
      not they wholly alienate landowners and those who live in the
      countryside.<br />
      Only good scouting is likely to preserve the freedoms so dear to the heart
      of the eternal Boy Scout.<br />
      <br />
      Book IV Lesson 60<br />
      Although truth and justice may be the most powerful impulses to show moral
      courage, there are others.<br />
      Compassion is one of these.<br />
      Tentatively it can be suggested that this is the main influence upon those
      who urge the abolition of capital punishment.<br />
      It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the upholders of capital
      punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more
      sorry for the murderer than for his victim.<br />
      This is nonsense but with it some organs of the popular Press played upon
      the emotions of their readers so successfully that many candidates for
      Parliament were afraid to support abolition for fear of losing votes and
      the result was the muddle-headed Homicide Act of 1957 which made murder
      with robbery a capital crime and allowed the poisoner to escape the
      gallows.<br />
      That illogical qualification shows how flimsy is the argument that capital
      punishment is a deterrent to murder.<br />
      The poisoner always works on a calculated plan of action and therefore is
      able to consider whether or not his taking another's life is worth the
      risk of his own; the violent thief is usually at the mercy of an instant
      emotion.<br />
      The only arguable plea for capital punishment is the right of society to
      retribution in this world with the prospect of life in another, but since
      what used to seem to the great majority of civilized humanitythe assurance
      of another life beyond the grave has come to seem to more and more people
      less certain, a feeling for the value of human life has become deeper and
      more widespread.<br />
      This may seem a paradoxical claim to make at a time when mankind is so
      much preoccupied with weapons of destruction.<br />
      Nevertheless, it is a claim that can be sustained and if compassion
      animates those who urge the abolition of the death penalty it is not a
      sentimental compassion for the mental agony inflicted upon a condemned man
      but a dread of destroying the miracle of life.<br />
      When in the eighteenth century offences against the law that today would
      no earn a month in prison were punished with the death penalty, the
      severity of the penal code had no serious effect on the prevalence of
      crime.<br />
      When it made no difference to the fate of a highwayman whether he had
      killed his victim or merely robbed him of a few pieces of silver, there
      were no more murders then than there were when men like Sir Fraricis
      Burdett succeeded in lightening the excessive severity of the penal
      laws.<br />
      In those days the sacredness of life on earth was not greatly regarded
      because a life in the world to come was taken for granted except by a
      comparatively small minotity of philosophers.<br />
      Nor was the long-drawn ordeal of the condemned cell inflicted either upon
      the condemned man or his gaolers once upon a time.<br />
      Those who believe in capital punishment may have arguments for its
      retention, but surely no reasonable argument can be found for retention of
      the sickening mumbo-jumbo that accompanies it from the moment that the
      judge dons the black cap with what looks like a pen-wiper balanced on the
      top of his wig, to the reading of the burial service over the condemned
      man before he is dead.<br />
      Moreover, it was more merciful to launch the condemned man into eternity
      twenty-four hours after he was sentenced than to keep him shivering on the
      brink of that dread gulf for nearly three weeks.<br />
      Hanging is an atrociously archaic way of killing a human being and the
      self-satisfied modernity of the electric chair is just as atrocious.<br />
      The administration of a strong sleeping draught to the condemned man every
      night from which one night he does hot awake, seems a more civilized
      alternative to our present barbarous procedure, if capital punishment
      through the influence of backward minds be retained.<br />
    </p>
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